He has only been in the job for just over three weeks, but the newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner faced a public grilling when he attended Leighton-Linslade’s public meeting regarding policing in the town.
PCC Olly Martins made it clear to those at the meeting yesterday evening that he intended to support Bedfordshire Police Chief Constable Hitchcock during the tough budget cuts facing the police force.
He also assured everyone that the changes that have been made are to ensure resources are being used efficiently and effectively.
Mr Martins said: “Bedfordshire police has been confronted with almost 50% cuts from the Government and that is on top of being the poorest funded police force in the country.
“So, what the police are going to do is an exercise to make sure the resources they have got are used as efficiently as possible.
“We need the resources the police have to be used to be sure there are the minimum number of victims.
“So cutting crime, catching criminals, and ensuring there are the least number of victims is what I’m all about as the Police and Crime Commissioner.”
Mr Martins was confronted by angry residents who felt the movement of Leighton-Linslade police officers had already impacted the town by lengthening the response time and introducing officers with no knowledge of the town.
One member of the public, who has recently been a victim of crime shouted out: “We need a presence in the town, we need help.”
To read about Mr Martins’ reaction to the public grilling last night, pick up a copy of the December 18 LBO.
> To see the live tweets from reporter Amanda Devlin at the meeting, follow @LBOamanda.