Victims ‘let down’ as cuts leave crimes on the shelf

Devon and Cornwall Police did not pursue more than 36,000 cases reported to them, representing 40 per cent of all crime files that landed on officers’ desks.

Those investigations shelved by officers included 11,000 incidents of criminal damage, 4,000 thefts from vehicles and 3,700 burglaries, according to the figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The data showed that, of the 91,532 crimes reported to Devon and Cornwall Police for the financial year 2011/12, 36,575 – or 40 per cent – were not deemed worthy of further investigation after an initial assessment.

The rate is a rise on the previous year’s figure of 33.7 per cent of cases being dumped by investigators, and follows the start of swingeing police cuts which will see the authority strive to cut its budget by £51m over four years.

Sergeant Nigel Rabbitts, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Police Federation, said police were failing some crime victims, adding: “Clearly, this now appears to be run by accountants rather than police officers.

“I am certain some victims of crime feel that they are being let down by the police, which is not what we want. The sad fact is, however, that we have lost officers and will expect to lose more as time goes on.”

The force is expected to lose 700 officers by 2015, down from its peak of 3,500. It has already axed 300 posts, Mr Rabbitts said, with a further 400 to go.

The figures came a day after a top UK police chief warned that further cuts could leave forces unable to cope with riots.

West Yorkshire’s chief constable Sir Norman Bettison said more Government cuts could jeopardise public safety if the police were faced with unrest on the scale of last year’s disturbances