Will Leighton-Linslade’s policing concerns be addressed following meeting with Minister?

Following an online meeting on Tuesday involving South West Beds MP, Andrew Selous, Cllr Steve Jones, leader of Leighton-Linslade Town Council (LLTC), and Cllr Russ Goodchild, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group LLTC, Mr Malthouse has said he will write to Chief Constable Garry Forsyth over the issues raised.

During the virtual gathering, Mr Selous reiterated his frustrations over both the funding of Bedfordshire Police and the policing model for the town.

Following the meeting he told the LBO: “In 1988 there were 34 warranted officers in Leighton Buzzard police station. The town has grown hugely and we have lost a 24/7 first responder presence.

“Village residents also urgently need a fast police response to the daily difficulties they face. Some have given up reporting crime or passing intelligence onto 101 and I would strongly encourage people to report and crime and suspicious activity. It is vital that the police spread their resource fairly across the whole county.”

At the meeting, Cllr Jones stressed what he said was the lack of an adequate allocation of Leighton Buzzard based officers in general, but particularly in respect of the night-time economy on Friday and Saturday nights.

He also expressed concern that there has been no progress on a promised new policing hub, which he said would provide increased space close to the town centre and act as a facility for police contact with the public together with an adequate base for officers.

Cllr Goodchild focussed on the lack of a policing plan for the town, public accountability and inadequate liaison with the Chief Constable and the current Policing and Crime Commissioner. He also stressed that the Police and Crime Panel lacked ‘bite’ and highlighted the reduction in warranted police officers dedicated to the town.

All agreed that the current Community Policing Team were doing an excellent job with the limited resources at their disposal. However, the public’s lack of confidence in policing in the town is increasing given the reduction in officer numbers since the closure of the police station despite an increase in population of over 5,000 in the last 10 years.

In a joint statement, Cllrs Jones and Goodchild said: “It is very unusual for town councillors to request meetings with Ministers of State but we believe that this reflects the depth of concern felt by all members on this subject. We would like to thank Andrew for arranging this and now await the outcome of the minister’s involvement.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Mr Malthouse expressed the view that the 100 officers due to be recruited in the next two years, in addition to the 50 already in post, should have an impact on numbers in the town.

Serious and organised crime has been the main focus for policing but he stressed that it was important that all incidents, even those seemingly minor, should be reported via 101 or online together with any suspicious behaviour. If incidents are not reported, the police cannot accurately assess the level of crime in an area, a point he frequently makes to his own constituents.

Regarding the policing of the town, Bedfordshire Police Chief Constable Garry Forsyth told the LBO earlier this month: “Community policing is extremely important and I understand that people want dedicated officers and visible policing in their towns and villages. However, we do need to balance that with also being able to respond to the biggest threat of risk and harm in our county. Being there when people need us, in life or death situations.

“We are dealing with an increasing number of incidents, more complex issues and new pressures including Covid-19 demands. While we are responding to these challenges, we have continued to work hard to ensure all of our community teams are fully resourced, and those officers are carrying out a fantastic job supporting the specific needs of each area and responding to local issues.

“Working with our communities remains of the utmost importance to us and with a fully populated and dedicated community team in the area we will continue to tackle these local issues together.”

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