'THREAT TO POLICE STATION'

Townspeople and police are stuck in a vicious circle in Heathfield '“ traders and residents have given up trying to report crime, claiming a lack of response, and police say they need more crime reported to justify resources deployed in the town.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Sep 2006, 16:34 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 22:36 BST

'People must be made aware of the need to report crime or we may end up losing the police station,' said parish council chairman Cllr Ray Bassingthwaighte at a meeting.

County councillor Rupert Simmons said people were very concerned about an 0845 telephone crime reporting line. 'Many traders have said they don't bother to report crime because of a lack of response they get to that number,' said Cllr Simmons. He had taken the matter up with the police and been assured the problem would be investigated.

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Cllr Bassingthwaighte said he had written to the police about other concerns.

They included a lack of Police Community Support Officers '“ which seemed to happen as soon as the parish council supplied them with a vehicle; illegal parking, a matter which had been raised many times and anti-social behaviour.

In response the police said the number of PCSOs was due to nearly double over the next two years with an additional ten being deployed in Wealden by March 31, 2008.

One additional PCSO was due to start in Heathfield by March 2007 and a fourth by March 2008.

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The police also said they were aware of recently increased anti-social behaviour in Heathfield and hoped to address this by putting increased funding from the Strategic Wealden Partnership towards additional patrols on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The partnership had also promised a contribution towards the capital costs of a proposed CCTV system.

Related topics:HeathfieldPeoplePCSO