POLICE in North Yorkshire are less visible, less effective and instil less confidence among residents, according to a new survey.
The 2018 Neighbourhood Policing Survey, commissioned by Julia Mulligan, saw 1,410 people discuss their experiences and satisfaction with North Yorkshire Police, on topics including perception of local crime and policing, reporting of crime and antisocial behaviour, and police visibility.
The report found "there is a significant level of dissatisfaction" with policing in North Yorkshire , as "almost half of respondents are critical of the service". It said "the public feel the service is deteriorating, particularly in relation to crime prevention and speed of response", and when compared with other key local services - council, health services and transport - North Yorkshire Police ranked bottom.
According to the survey, 1,254 people identified as residents while completing the survey, but while 104 people in the Selby area took part, and 258 from York Outer, only five people in the 'York Inner' or city centre area completed the survey - the lowest number of responses among the 11 areas.
The highest fear of crime was found in Selby and Harrogate, and respondents said they were most concerned about "irresponsible vehicle use, burglary, rowdy behaviour, drug supply/taking and fraud" - topics at odds with the Government's policing priorities of "child sexual exploitation, online crime, human trafficking, serious violence and terrorism"
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Ciaron Irvine said the crime rate in North Yorkshire was statistically the lowest in England, despite figures released last week revealing a 13 per cent rise in crime - five per cent higher than the national average.
Mr Irvine said the local report was in line with national trends, which showed 40 per cent of people felt crime and antisocial behaviour was getting worse, and "less than a third of people who responded to the survey were satisfied with the level of police visibility".
He said: "These national figures help to put things in perspective, but they do not alter the fact that we have work to do on the ground, here in North Yorkshire. We can’t pretend that will be easy, because our resources are limited, and our responsibilities keep growing."
Mr Irvine said there was "a constant juggling act" to cover neighbourhood policing while also tackling 'hidden' crimes, which "stretches our resources", but the force was "determined to do everything we can to get it right".
Julia Mulligan, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said the results of the survey were "worrying but not a surprise", and officers "would like to offer a better service".
She said: "While it is right that North Yorkshire Police has the resources in place to tackle the most serious crimes, I do feel this has been to the detriment of local policing.
"However, the balance is hard to achieve. Policing demand is going up, as is the complexity of crime. Those officers dealing with serious crimes are also feeling the pressure, especially as the additional workload comes at a time when resources are very tight."
The report also said funding in North Yorkshire was "under threat" from national changes to the Government's funding formula which would be a "significant risk going forward".
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