1/3 of bobbies on the beat axed in last three years as violent crime soars

When was the last time you saw a bobby on the beat? Last week? Last month? Last year?

It may feel a long time ago - and there's a reason why.

In the last three year's one in three police officers who regularly patrolled a 'beat' have quit their jobs or been reassigned to new duties since March 2015.

Three years ago, there were around 24,000 bobbies patrolling the streets of England and Wales - that figure has now fallen to just 16,500. It comes as recorded crime has doubled in the same period from 778,00 offences to close to 1.4million offences. Knife crime has increased from 26,000 offences in 2016 to 40,000 offences recorded in the year to March 2018.

Having bobbies on beat is 'common sense'

It follows a spike in violent crime in the capital, earlier this year more than 100 people have been murdered since the start of the year. At this weekend's Notting Hill Carnival, more than 370 people were taken into custody, 49 weapons were seized at the event in west London.

Figures show that Sussex has the fewest bobbies on the beat - with just eight officers patrolling the streets for every 100,000 people. The lack of officers has led to some offering private protection for a small fee, a move in which they claim makes people feel safer in their communities.

Former Met Police Superintendent, Dal Babu said that having more bobbies on the beat is "common sense".

He told Good Morning Britain: "Neighbourhood policing has born the brunt of the cutbacks, neighbourhood policing has been decimated - crimes occur in neighbourhoods, they're solved in neighbourhoods - we want those links with the local community. We want that information, that intelligence there."

Police forces in funding 'balancing act'

"We're trying to strike a balancing act," said Simon Cole, Chief Constable of Leicestershire police and the National Lead for Local Policing.

He added that there are 32,000 fewer people in policing than 10 years ago, saying that the falling number of coppers representers a "challenge" for Police and Crime Commissioners around the country.

As funding for police forces falls, resources are having to be diverted away from frontline policing to focus on the dangers posed by cybercrime, gang-related and drug crime and terror. Despite changes in policing, the Office for National Statistics said 78% of people aged 16 and over in England and Wales had confidence in their local police in 2016/17, compared with 76% in 2013/14.