COUNCILLOR Joel Charles has said that town-specific community policing initiatives must not be the casualty of a “poor Government funding settlement”.

He added: “Reducing funding to the eighth largest police force in England and Wales, based on per head of population, does not make sense.

“Harlow residents are increasingly concerned about the impact of anti-social behaviour and crime locally. The shortfall means the ability to adopt a more community-focused approach to policing in Essex will now be harder to deliver on the ground.

“I continue to support the sensible proposal put forward by our Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner that aimed to secure a fairer funding settlement for the county. It is disappointing that the Government chose to reject his proposal, which would have maintained investment in community policing.

“Pressure must be kept on the Government. The Chief Constable not only needed the right resources to maintain operational capability, but also to strengthen engagement in every single community in Essex. It is clear the Government decided to snatch any real prospect of a settlement that would have achieved that away from him.

“My priority now is to work with our Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to better understand the impact of the latest funding settlement on Harlow. I am determined to ensure that steps already taken locally to cut crime do not stall due to a lack of Government funding.”