MP meets with senior police to discuss burglary crime across borough

MP meets with senior police to discuss burglary crime across borough

Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson met with the borough’s senior police officers and discussed concerns which residents have raised with the MP about burglaries across the constituency.

The MP told police that one constituent had said they were “scared to go to bed at night”.

A number of householders have contacted the MP in emails and letters stating that they felt burglary crime was becoming increasingly common and they feared that cuts to the police service were leaving their homes vulnerable to thieves.

Sefton Borough Commander Matthew Boyle and Area Inspector Ian Jones told Mr Esterson that residents could reduce the risk of burglary by putting car keys away at night and making sure doors and windows were always locked. They also reported that they had secured several convictions for burglary in recent months.

Merseyside Police have faced eight years of cuts from central government with a further two years of cuts still to come and Mr Esterson said this clearly made it harder for the police to prevent burglaries or to catch offenders.

Bill Esterson MP said: “Thieves know as well as anybody that there have been cuts to community policing. Our police do a magnificent job with the resources they have but I fear that any increase in this type of crime is at least in part because thieves feel they can continue with impunity. One person told me they were scared to go to bed at night due to the number of burglaries we are seeing.

“The police told me that cars are a big target right now, so they advised always lock your car and keep keys in a safe place in the home.

“The clear message from the police is that we should all take more care in protecting our property. The police have regular patrols and are working hard to target burglars but the best defence is for everyone to be vigilant and do what you can to reduce your chances of becoming a victim.

“Superintendent Boyle also told me that CCTV helps as a deterrent and is a great way of identifying thieves who might not break in to your home tonight but may well come back and try again. The police told me they welcome CCTV evidence in identifying and catching burglars.

“I was also told about police identifying where illegal scrambler bikes are stored so they can work out when they have been stolen and prevent their use in further crimes. More of a problem in the summer, but any news about potential stolen bikes always helps the police.

“Merseyside Police has had its budget slashed first by the coalition Lib-Dem/Conservative government and now by the Conservative government. Further big cuts were announced by the chancellor in the budget in November and our police really have their work cut out.

“I want to see those cuts reversed and along with my Labour colleagues in Sefton and across Merseyside, we support Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Kennedy in her calls for extra police. Merseyside Police have more than 1,000 fewer police officers than they had in 2010 and the consequences are that it is much harder for our police to keep us safe.

“The next Labour government will recruit the extra police we need. In the meantime, we all have a role in helping protect ourselves and in telling the police when we see someone acting suspiciously or when we know about a stolen scrambler bike or have video of someone who tries a car door to see if it unlocked.

“I would like to thank all of our uniformed police officers and their non-uniformed colleagues for their hard work and to thank Superintendent Matthew Boyle and Inspector Ian Jones for meeting me.”

Anyone who has non-emergency information for the police can call 0151 777 3858.

PIC shows: Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson is pictured with Sefton Borough Commander Matthew Boyle and Inspector Ian Jones.