TILBURY councillor Lynn Worrall says her fears about police withdrawing from the town have come true.
Now she is renewing her call for Essex Police to rethink their decision to close the local police station and to take active police officers and PCSOs off of the streets.
Cllr Worrall said: “When the Essex Chief Constable and the Essex Police and Crime Commissioner attended a council meeting earlier this year I warned them both that closing the police station and taking away any visible presence was shortsighted and would lead to an increase in crime.
"I was concerned that residents would begin to feel more vulnerable in their homes and in the town at night, and it seems my fears have been proved right."
She said: "Unfortunately the advice was not heeded. The police claimed that although the station was closing they would still be on patrol in the community and there was nothing to indicate that crime would rise.
“It is now about a month since the closure of the station and it looks like my fears of increased crime and violence were well judged.
"Two weeks ago we read in the local newspaper that there had been an aggravated burglary and just this weekend there has been two posts on social media warning people to be vigilant as there have been two muggings in the middle of our town.
"I have today sent the local Chief Constable a letter on behalf of the community to again ask him to rethink the decision, give us our station back, and put the police officers and PCSOs back on our streets again."
