Shropshire beat bobbies ‘at the heart of police work’ says chief after criticism

Superintendent Tom Harding responded after a survey of town and parish councils in the county found that the majority were dissatisfied with the number of bobbies on the beat.

In Telford and Wrekin, 83 per cent of councils which responded said they thought police visibility was either poor or very poor, while in the rest of the county the figure was 62 per cent.

Across both districts, only about one in four councils said they had confidence in the the police when it came to resolving crime or disorder issues.

The survey was commissioned on behalf of police and crime commissioner John Campion.

It found that in the Shropshire Council area, the majority of councils were satisfied that the police were doing a fair, good or excellent job.

However, in Telford and Wrekin, the figure was just 42 per cent.

Superintendent Harding said he welcomed the results of this survey, adding that it was always interesting to hear the views of town and parish councils.

"It is disappointing the town and parish councils feel police visibility for them is poor," he said.

Feedback

"We work very hard to make sure we are out and about in our communities speaking with local people and we are encouraged with the positive feedback we have had from the public.

"This is very much at the heart of the work our safer neighbourhood teams do and I know the teams work tirelessly to support the areas they cover.

"Of course, there is always more that can be done and we will take these findings on board."

Superintendent Harding said the force was constantly looking at how to maximise visibility in the communities it served.

This, he said included making use of a mobile police station and making it easier for people to get in contact with their local officer.

"We have recently introduced local policing priorities teams who are very visible and tackling specific local problems highlighted by our communities such as anti-social behaviour, drug dealing and drug use," he said.

"I hope our local communities feel reassured we are doing all we can to tackle the issues that matter the most to them and will continue to do so.”

Mr Campion said the findings of the survey reflected plans that were already in place, reinforcing the understanding of the relationship between communities and police.

"It is reassuring to see that the police response is generally good but there are some clear areas to improve," he said.

"Visibility of frontline policing is a priority and I have invested to protect this.”