Council call on police chief to think again

LABOUR controlled Warrington Borough Council has called on the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer, to “think again” over plans which would see police officers and PCSOs begin and end their shifts in the town centre.
In a motion – tabled by Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft councillor Chris Vobe – the Labour Party called on Commissioner Dwyer to accept accountability for plans which would result in “chaos” and reduce the time officers spend policing the streets by as much as two hours or more each day.
Cllr Vobe (pictured) delivered the Motion to Council on behalf of the Labour Group, describing the widespread support that community policing has across Warrington, and criticising the Commissioner for failing to embrace new technology. He believes that the journey times to and from the town centre are being widely underestimated and will result in a significant reduction in service for local people.
The Motion was passed with support from the Labour Group, all but one Liberal Democrat, and one Conservative. There was one abstention and three votes against.
Councillor Vobe hit out at the Conservative Party for what he described as a “shameful display of ineptitude and inadequacy”.
He said: “The Tory stance on policing is Warrington is clear – they are out to undermine the hard work and dedication of our local officers by slashing our services under the guise of a restructure.
“In the Town Hall, our Tory councillors are simply in a mess. Their Group Leader tried to tell us that their Police and Crime Commissioner isn’t accountable or responsible, whilst the rest of their Group sat in silence, refusing to muster any defence against the threat of our service being cut. Risley Police Station’s future looks uncertain at best, with Commissioner Dwyer declining to guarantee it will remain open beyond 2016. The fact that Cllr Sue Bland couldn’t find her voice tells us all we need to know. It was a shameful display of ineptitude and inadequacy.”
Cllr Vobe also referred to figures published by the Government in a response to a Parliamentary Question tabled by Derek Twigg, the MP for Halton, which show the fall in police numbers across Cheshire since Commissioner Dwyer came to office.
He added: “We now have 259 fewer officers in Cheshire than we had under the last Labour government, and 115 less than when Commissioner Dwyer took up his post. We have fewer officers on the streets, and now the Commissioner is reducing officer time. The bottom line is simple – the Tories simply don’t care about Warrington when it comes to setting their budgets.”
But the Chairman of the Conservative Party in Warrington North, Frank Allen, hit back, welcoming the successes of Cheshire Constabulary under the oversight of Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer.
“Recent figures show that this year, despite having to make savings, crime is down, frontline officer numbers will increase by up to 53 this year, and the Cheshire Constabulary is fully committed to Neighbourhood policing and working with the community.
“The changes recently proposed by the Chief Constable will further improve the performance of the force and continue to provide effective local policing. Senior Cheshire Constabulary officers have been meeting with Parish and Town Councillors and members of the public to present their ideas for future policing under the operational remit of the Chief Constable.
“It is disappointing that Cllr Vobe has decided to attack these plans in his recent press release, while at the same time trying to intimate they are solely down to the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner. Indeed Cllr Vobe sent out a press release before he had even sat down with the senior police officers at his local Parish Council to hear their side of the story.
“It is also disappointing that Helen Jones MP has never met with the Mr Dwyer despite being invited by him to do so. If she truly represents her constituents then she should be prepared to meet with anyone whose job is to reduce the levels of crime, as is currently being achieved by the Police in Cheshire.”