Tough times ahead for policing

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary are facing tough times ahead as resources get tighter, but have reassured the public that it is still committed to improving its service,

The force have restructured its resources and moved to a more functional model so it can be more efficient and effective in the way it responds to calls following a comprehensive spending review.

In a statement Devon and Cornwall Constabulary said: “We are asking our officers to do more with less and this has meant that we have had to change the way we do things.

“For instance low level incidents may be dealt with by appointment or by deploying a PCSO. However these changes have not altered the way in which we respond to emergency calls. These will always be treated as a priority.”

The number of police officers will also have to reduced.

The statement added: “Devon and Cornwall will have to reduce by 700 officers and 500 police staff by 2016.

“However, despite this we are committed to improving our service to the public and the way in which we deal with emergency calls.

“The number of general response officers has reduced by just over 500 officers, however they have not all been removed from frontline policing.

“Officers were redeployed into both crime and neighbourhood policing.

“These local officers continue to be available to respond to calls and to maximise our visibility on the streets.

“The remaining response officer posts have created dedicated response teams of experienced officers who are deployed to provide an emergency service to the public of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

“Performance figures have shown that over the last year we have improved the time in which we get to calls despite reducing officer posts as a result of restructuring the organisation.”

The force said it will continue to maximise its visibility on the streets and ensure it deploys officers to where they are needed most.