Policing

Inspector Tim Powell should be congratulated, on his retirement, for the work that he has done in leading the Beccles Area Police Team over the past 5 years.

Under his leadership we have seen a reduction in crime. He and his officers are approachable, willing to listen and responsive.

He is right to express concern about the amount of paperwork and bureaucracy that the police face today. Each arrest takes 11 1/2 hours to process and more time (20%) is spent on paperwork, compared to patrol (14%). In 2006, across the country 79,000 stop and account forms were issued, each one taking 25 minutes to complete.

There is an urgent need to cut red tape to allow officers to spend more time on the beat as a visible deterrent against crime. The stop form to which Inspector Powell refers should be scrapped. Health and Safety red tape should also be cut to tackle the risk-averse culture that restricts the police from carrying out their job.

On a personal note I have always found Inspector Powell helpful, understanding and reassuring and I wish him well in his retirement.