Idkal

Hoorah! Bedford saw a 21% reduction in burglary, vehicle crime and robbery last year.

According to Sally Flint, Community Safety Manager for the North Bedfordshire Community Safety Partnership “It’s a great result.”

However, statistically the figures may show a reduction; what really matters is the public perception – which we all know to be very different.

It would appear that once again the Police and the Council are on their fairground ride spinning round and round in order to increase their popularity and leave us all with a warm rosy glow.

Everyone knows what is really happening on our street, you only have to walk down to the Town Centre at a weekend to see what really happens. Just last week, I was out and about in Bedford enjoying a night out, and only saw four Police Officers protecting the high street.

Quite a change from several months ago, because when I spent a night out with the Police there were 12 officers to keeping a watch on the High Street. There isn’t a week goes by without a local resident knocking on my door to tell me about yet another crime in the area. Just the other night a Bedford taxi driver was seriously assaulted and robbed for £150 on London Road – Shall I go on…

Well quite frankly anyone can produce nice glossy flow charts and warm fuzzy statistics, but what we need is uniformed officers back on our streets.

So my challenge is, for the Beds Police Chief Constable to come out with me on a Friday or Saturday night (at normal staffing levels), so she too can experience the reality of what is actually happening in our town.

Personally, I am saddened by what I hear from local residents, because, Bedford is a great town; to live and work, however, it just sometimes feels that the Police and Council are sweeping the problems under the carpet.