| A YEP campaign to get more police patrolling
the streets of West Yorkshire won its first victory today.
A high level delegation, headed by Leeds West MP John Battle, is holding
talks with the Home Office to call for more Government cash for West Yorkshire's
beleaguered force.
The move comes just days after the YEP revealed the perilous state of
policing in the region.
Our investigation found:
West Yorkshire is being policed by only 400 more officers than it was
25 years ago, despite a near three fold increase in crime;
The region has the lowest number of officers per head of population of
any metropolitan force outside London.
Officers deal with more crimes than those in any other area.
Mr Battle told the YEP he was setting up a team of West Yorkshire MPs
– including former and present Government Ministers "with clout"
– to put the region's case at the highest level.
"At the moment West Yorkshire Police is regarded very lowly by the
Home Office," he said. "We plan to work with the chief constable
and others and put our case to Government.
"It is time West Yorkshire got a fair deal."
Meanwhile communities across the region are to get a greater say in how
the police in their area operate.
Yesterday Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn was at a meeting with Home Secretary
David Blunkett where he heard the Government call for greater involvement
from residents on how their areas are policed.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "This is about taking forward the
next step of police reform. It's looking at delegating responsibility
so that local people's views are reflected in the way they are policed."
Today communities across Leeds welcomed the prospect of more police on
their streets.
Martin Bowers, head of The Ambertons, Lawrences and Oak Tree Drive Residents'
Association in Gipton said: "The more the better as far as we are
concerned. We would like a permanent presence down here to tackle the
likes of burglary, joyriding and drugs problems. It would be something
that would make us all feel safer."
Olu Taiwo, from the Richmond Hill and East End Park Community Association
agreed: "We would love to see more police officers on our streets.
In our community group we are not even sure who our community constable
is – I cannot remember the last time we saw him here.
"When we had the trouble and police were petrol bombed there were
lots of police here but then they went again. It would be great to have
an established presence - even a drop-in centre so the police could become
part of the community."
|
John
Battle Member of Parliament for West Leeds.