Letter: Police responsibilities

Letter: I read this weekend that a Superintendent of Leicestershire police said at the inquest of Fiona Pilkington and her daughter Francesca, that any yobbish behaviour was no longer the responsibility of the police.

It appears that since the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act was passed, the various councils are now responsible for policing any yobs.

Just how are the councils expected to do this? Are they expected to produce their own police force to oppose the yobs, or possibly employ a couple of chaps with large dogs, trained to remove a largish lump, or possibly two, from whoever the dog handler feels is going a bit over the top.

It appears to me that the police are happy to abrogate their responsibilities, in the same way that they no longer appear to patrol the streets thus allowing free access to any and all criminals.

Fiona Pilkington and her daughter Francesca died in a blazing car after suffering more than ten years of abuse by yobs. Despite calling the police on numerous occasions, the police apparently felt she was over-reacting and did nothing. For ten years?

The superintendent added that quite often the police became frustrated at not being able to do anything.

I would venture that they were not nearly as frustrated as the Pilkington family.

In conclusion, whatever happened to the, admittedly old-fashioned idea, that the police were there To Serve and Protect. Or was that some other police force in some far off, distant land?

Mick Cunningham

Much Wenlock