Residents of Hartlepool, County Durham, carry out their own beats after Cleveland Police suffered £40million in cuts
VIGILANTES have been forced to patrol streets and use Facebook to solve crimes after the local police force was slashed to just 10 officers to protect 90,000 people.
Residents of Hartlepool, County Durham, carry out their own beats to deter burglaries and thefts after Cleveland Police suffered £40million in cuts.
In a further blow, the town's custody suite is set to be mothballed with prisoners instead being taken to Middlesbrough, around 15 miles away.
There are now just 10 officers on duty overnight in the town, which has a population of 92,000, while their cars sit empty without enough officers to fill them.
A BBC News investigation found that on a recent Saturday night, all 10 officers were dealing with incidents and there was no one left to emergency calls.
At one stage, four officers were driving prisoners to Middlesbrough at the same time.
THE number of crimes reported in Hartlepool during the last year has increased by 19 per cent.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 10,757 crimes were recorded from the year to March.
This means a rate of 116 crimes per 1,000 residents during 2017 to 2018 - above the England and Wales average of 82.
Gun and knife possession offences rose from 2o to 73 incidents, while theft shot up by 19 per cent.
The latest police figures also reveal the number of robberies between April 2017 and March 2018 more than doubled.
There were 99 robberies - including violent muggings - in the period, which is an increase of 115.2 per cent in 2016-2017 when 46 were reported.
Hartlepool also has the highest level of crime across the force area.
Hartlepool mayor Allan Barclay told the : "Criminals are very happy because they know they can get away with it.
"Policing is now non-existent for low-level crimes and things like burglaries and shoplifting because the police’s hands are tied by budget cuts.
"Police have effectively given up on coming out because they just don’t have the resources – victims get a crime number and that’s it."
One volunteer Stephen Picton, 47, said: "We don't want to be here, we have to be here.
"We are all full time workers but are giving up a few hours in the night just to protect what is ours and to protect everyone else.
"We are not police but basically we are doing their job."
The locals insist they are purely a deterrent and hope their presence will prevent crimes happening in the first place.
The most recent crime figures showed that public disorder offences in the town increased by 98 to 185, a rise of more than 112 per cent.
Local councillors said there were not enough bobbies on the beat to cope.
Councillor Rob Cook said: "I'm aware we have less police than have ever had before.
"You don't see PCSOs or police on the street much these days.
"One of the other problems is people need to report crimes.
"In my ward there is a shop owner facing problems but he doesn't ring up because he knows he's wasting his time.
"By the time police get there they've gone or they won't be able to find who did it."
The figures showed a 3 per cent overall rise in crime from April to June compared to the same time last year.
Hartlepool are not the only town to take matters into their own hands when it comes to crime.
Community watchdog group We Stand Determined hit 1,500 members last week as it called for Birmingham residents to report dangers they were facing.
The group was originally launched after an unsuccessful petition to get more police in the area.
Organisers Wayne, Tracy and Michael turned vigilante after discovering a friend had been attacked in his home in Birmingham by thieves armed with hammers.
They now organise twice-weekly patrols across the city and insist the group is non-violent and seeks to work in partnership with the police, not against it.
It was set up in the wake of violent stabbings, shootings and murders across the city.
Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger last month repeated his call for more funding for the force, which has seen a crime rise of 19 per cent in a year.
He said: “I have campaigned to secure increased funding for policing in Cleveland for years and it is a drum I will continue to beat to get a fair deal for our residents."
A force spokesman said the custody suite closure would take place in early 2019, but it could be reopened if needed.
He said the move would "reduce costs and make savings".
Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Roberts said the time needed for officers to travel between the two towns "can be managed appropriately".
It comes as Treasury insiders indicated they were prepared to give police vital funding to tackle the bloodbath on Britain's streets.
Violent crime has soared by nearly 20 per cent over the past year with shock increases in rape, murder and knife attacks.
Shockingly, 69,000 kids were wounded in the 12 months to June in Wild West Britain - up by 4,000 the previous year.
National crime survey figures show homicide is up by 14 per cent while knife possession has increased by 21 per cent.
Murders in London have reached their highest in more than a decade, with more than 100 victims in 2018 so far.
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