Derbyshire police chief says Government must continue to invest in vital support services

Hardyal Dhindsa, police and crime commissioner for Derbyshire. Photo: John McLean

Through my urban, suburban and rural engagement tour of Derbyshire I have listened and acted to stop any further cuts to policing.

Austerity cuts of £40 million resulted in 750 less police officers and staff in Derbyshire.

I have now begun to invest in bringing back greater police visibility in Derbyshire’s 383 towns, villages and neighbourhoods.

I have also begun an ambitious investment programme to increase reassurance by putting police stations back into neighbourhoods, many in blue light hubs within community fire stations.

Cutting police numbers to the bone led to increase in crime, lack of public reassurance and stress and sickness for the smaller band of officers left to fight crime and protect vulnerable communities.

The change in Government attitude to funding policing is welcome and I will make sure it continues to deliver on its promise of 283 extra officers for Derbyshire over the next three years.

However, more is needed as the demands on policing are increasing as other public services are cut.

Look at the lack of youth and children services, the inability of mental health services to meet increasing demand and the general stretch being experienced over the last 10 years by the most vulnerable in our communities.

I have done my bit by commissioning specialist victim services and provided grants to shore up youth services and mental health facilities – but my funds are limited.

That’s why I was pleased to see the publication of two reports, the Marmot Review on Health Inequalities and Dame Carol Black’s Independent Review on Drugs, which both say one thing – more needs investing in public services.

At the UK drugs summit in Glasgow last week, Dame Carol’s report presented powerful evidence that the police and border security services need to do more to disrupt illicit drug supply chains.

But we also need to invest more in support services to address homelessness and mental health issues, and we must provide more drug treatment and recovery services than were available ten years ago.