A LEADING Thurrock councillor has taken a dim view of Essex Police’s decision not to attend up tp 97% of all cases of anti-social behaviour.
Portfolio holder for public protection, cllr Jane Apothecary said: "We have huge cuts to deal with ourselves – by 2018 government will have slashed Thurrock Council’s funding by over £50 million a year – and we simply don’t have the capacity to take on the responsibilities of the Police.
"Rather, we need to continue working together to tackle these issues. The fact that Essex Police are withdrawing from dealing directly with ASB, are no longer able to respond to all burglaries and are looking to shed hundreds more police officers is the inevitable consequence of a Conservative majority government determined to cut public spending far beyond what is possible without causing real damage.
