Packed meeting for crime debate

That was the strong message from a packed meeting of Bexhill Police/Community Consultative Group on Wednesday night.

In a week which a man suffered broken ribs in another local mugging, more than 50 people crowded into the Town Hall committee room.

The result was a hard-hitting but largely constructive 70-minute debate on policing in the town.

The town crime-and-policing issue has attained such a high-profile that the group s customary agenda was revised to give Sector Commander Inspector Max Mosley s quarterly report and the public debate which followed top-billing.

Inspector Mosley told the meeting he had two sergeants and nine and threequarter constable posts - plus two other Community Beat Officers who would join as soon as they could be released from other duties.

He said: "I don t make excuses about anything. You will never hear me make excuses about problems or about society.

"What I do is use the resources that are available to me. My job is to ensure that we use those resources in the best possible way and about doing it in partnership with the community.

"I will not make excuses to you about the way I do my job and I will not make excuses for my officers..."

Operational debriefings ensured that where matters could have been handled better measures were put in place immediately.

"I always say that Bexhill is a safe place in which to live in comparison with other divisions. I know there have been some high-profile cases in the paper in respect of some people who have been assaulted.

Cllr Keith Bridger gladly accepted the challenge issued by Inspector Mosley to go on patrol with an officer and see the situation for himself.

But he said: "There is a small hard core of young people in Sidley who are totally lawless. They have no respect for other people or the police.

"We are getting a tremendous amount of criminal damage and there has been no reference to this.

"People tell me they have rung the police station and all they say is 'We will give you a crime number so you can claim on your insurance.

"You don t need police officers! You only need clerks if that s all the response you are going to make!"

Amid cheering, he added: "Please, please - don t baffle us with figures. People in Sidley know what the problems are. People need to SEE police and see some pro-active policing not just reactive policing!"

Cllr Stuart Earl, whose article in last week s Observer prompted the Inspector s detailed reply, also gained applause.

He said: "I am not here to bash the police. What I want to see is more officers."

If the police wanted more resources then the public would back them in calling for them.