Anti-social behaviour is public's top concern
Friday, 9th October 2009.
Having heard Haverhill was statistically part of the safest area of the second safest county in the country, members of the public told police their biggest concerns were about anti-social behaviour.
Suffolk Constabulary held its St Edmundsbury area public meeting in Haverhill last night (Thursday), and part of the consultation enabled people to vote on what they thought the police should be doing and how well they were doing it.
Most people thought anti-social behaviour in the borough should be the highest priority, particularly the night-time in Bury St Edmunds, but mosat people also thought the police were dealing with it well.
Suffolk Chief Constable Simon Ash explained that police targets had all be combined into one big target now, which was improving public confidence in the police.
In questions about how to achieve that, people thought police visibility on ther beat was the top priority.
Mr Ash highlighted the financial constraints which were already taking hold and were predicted to get much worse.
Against that background people were asked if they were prepared to pay more in the precept on their council tax for the police.
No one thought they were paying too much, 55 per cent were broadly happy with what they paid and 45 per cent said they were prpared to pay more.
Mr Ash detailed various measures they were taking to improve confidence, one of which was allowing policemen to exercise their discretion more.
The meeting heard recent examples of how, by following procedure very strictly, the police had managed to end up with everyone involved in an incident feeling aggrieved.
Mr Ash hoped that, with the use of more common sense in future, such results could be avoided.
Suffolk Constabulary held its St Edmundsbury area public meeting in Haverhill last night (Thursday), and part of the consultation enabled people to vote on what they thought the police should be doing and how well they were doing it.
Most people thought anti-social behaviour in the borough should be the highest priority, particularly the night-time in Bury St Edmunds, but mosat people also thought the police were dealing with it well.
Suffolk Chief Constable Simon Ash explained that police targets had all be combined into one big target now, which was improving public confidence in the police.
In questions about how to achieve that, people thought police visibility on ther beat was the top priority.
Mr Ash highlighted the financial constraints which were already taking hold and were predicted to get much worse.
Against that background people were asked if they were prepared to pay more in the precept on their council tax for the police.
No one thought they were paying too much, 55 per cent were broadly happy with what they paid and 45 per cent said they were prpared to pay more.
Mr Ash detailed various measures they were taking to improve confidence, one of which was allowing policemen to exercise their discretion more.
The meeting heard recent examples of how, by following procedure very strictly, the police had managed to end up with everyone involved in an incident feeling aggrieved.
Mr Ash hoped that, with the use of more common sense in future, such results could be avoided.
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