A NEIGHBOURHOOD Watch coordinator has called for public support in the face of growing challenges to police officers.
Martin Lawrence, who oversees the Chase area and is a town councillor, warned Malvern is under threat of being ruined by a minority of criminals and urged residents to play their part in addressing the issues.
He is one of more than 60 coordinators in Malvern and circulates the latest reported offences in the area to about 250 people who have subscribed to the alerts.
Mr Lawrence claimed there was no let up in crimes and now officers faced additional challenges, such as the loss of the police counter on Victoria Road, resource restrictions for the district council street scene team and pressures on the force which meant officers are unable to attend a lot of incidents.
He said: “These incidents just keep on coming, I think that it is high time that we considered as a group what can be done to support our police team, not just in terms of our own street, or the next, but the town.
“I would like to hear from any residents that consider the policing situation deserves discussion and immediate action by residents, forcing politicians to recognise that there are standards that we expect them to maintain.
“Malvern is in danger of becoming just another place where a minority of criminals and the mindless ruin the environment and comparative peace of the many.”
Mr Lawrence said he had been criticised by some people for making Neighbourhood Watch a political issue but he said councillors needed to have an input on the matter and do their bit to put pressure on their local authorities to support police.
“I am very proud to say things as they are, it is impossible to engage politicians without politicising a situation,” he added. “With an election next May there has never been a better time to stamp our collective feet.”
He urged people to contact him at [email protected] for more information on Neighbourhood Watch in Malvern and for details on how to get involved.
