Poll: Are there enough 'bobbies on the beat' in the West Midlands?
A police watchdog has raised "growing concerns" that local bobbies are being taken off the beat, as it warned some forces may be unable to cope with major crimes such as rioting or multiple murders in the next few years.
We want your views - are there enough 'bobbies on the beat' in the West Midlands? Vote at the bottom of this article and leave your thoughts in the comments section.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) found that neighbourhood teams are being stretched with extra work that keeps them in the office, and revealed a third of people had seen fewer police officers on patrol in the past year.
The watchdog also warned that the future of some smaller forces could be at risk in the next three to five years if recent methods used to slash budgets do not change.
Those with low police officer numbers and a low cost of policing per head were highlighted as being the most vulnerable, with Lincolnshire and Suffolk among forces deemed to be at risk.
As the watchdog's latest assessment of how the 43 forces in England and Wales are dealing with 20% budget cuts was published, inspector Zoe Billingham said: "Continuing to apply the cost reductions in the same way in the next four years as they've been applied in these four years is not an option, and we're very clear that the viability of some forces could be placed in jeopardy in three to five years' time.
"By that we mean they would have to cut too hard and too deep into neighbourhood policing and they may not be able to guarantee or maintain the service that we're currently seeing to the public."
The HMIC report also warned that smaller forces with a large area to cover or high demand could find themselves unable to respond to "unexpected events".
It said: "Limited options to make savings will inevitable drive some forces to make deeper cuts into neighbourhood policing, and they may struggle to respond to unexpected events, for example public order problems such as rioting or demonstrations or major crime such as multiple murders or kidnaps."
Ms Billingham said that although staffing in neighbourhood teams is rising by an average of 8%, this masks a trend where officers are facing red tape.
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