Hucknall councillor says police numbers for the town are still woefully short

Ashfield Independent councillors have accused the Government of spin and rhetoric over claims police officer numbers in towns like Hucknall are approaching 2010 levels.
By John Smith
Published 2nd Nov 2021, 10:48 BST
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Ashfield MP Lee Anderson praised the Government’s recruitment commitments this week after it was announced another 243 officers had joined the force since September, taking the total number up to 2,264 on the force.

But Independent councillors point out this is still 136 less than 2010 numbers, when the Conservatives first returned to power and has continued a steady decline in numbers that was exacerbated for Hucknall in 2015 when the town’s police station was closed down.

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Coun Lee Waters (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall North on Ashfield District Council, said: “The reality is that across Hucknall, residents tell me they feel less safe than in previous years.

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The closure of Hucknall Police Station in 2015 further reduced numbers of officers for the townThe closure of Hucknall Police Station in 2015 further reduced numbers of officers for the town
The closure of Hucknall Police Station in 2015 further reduced numbers of officers for the town

"Our officers do a great job albeit with limited resources.

"We have less officers, a lack of CCTV, no police front desk and a police force that struggles to deal with both low-level and other crimes like drug dealing, burglaries and assault.

"Residents tell me that the response to calls to 101, the police non-emergency line is poor to say the least.

"We are not about to celebrate an increase in police numbers that still leave us woefully short of 2010 police numbers.”

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Coun David Hennigan (Ash Ind), added: “The reality is that police numbers have gone down since the Conservatives came to power.

"Places like Hucknall have seen their officers cut significantly by the Tories.

“Since 2010, we have lost our police stations in places like Sutton-in-Ashfield and Hucknall.

"The press statements issued by the Tories mask over a decade of swingeing cuts to forces like Nottinghamshire.

"The reality on the ground is that people don’t feel safer.

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“Ask anybody the last time they saw a serving officer with full powers of arrest walking down their street in a bid to deter crime and they’ll scratch their heads.

"The reality is that Nottinghamshire Police still has to recruit another 136 officers just to bring us back to the figures of 2010.

"This will not happen for another couple of years and Nottinghamshire is a less safe place as a result.”