Video: What Police Commissioner told Ingoldmells residents about crime after lights out

Marc Jones, Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, told a meeting of Ingoldmells Police Forum that so far there has been no indication Lincolnshire County Council’s move to save money has had such an effect.

Addressing a packed room of residents from surrounding villages at the Royal Arthur Centre, he said: “So far we haven’t seen crime increasing - in fact in some areas where the lights have gone out crime has gone down.

“But this is something I’m very clear about. If we get any information that crime is increasing because of the lights being switched off we need to tell the county council straight away.

“I’ve already had a conversation with the leader of the county council and there is an open channel to discuss this.

“There was crime before the lights went off and crime after and we will continue to deal with that.

“If you have any concerns please ring the police. The county council have said it’s an open door.”

Other hot topics of the night were organised crime, concern about the number of police on patrol, balancing the budget, cyber crime, bosus callers and road safety – but Mr Jones urged residents to “hold faith”. He said: “There is a world of things happening to keep communities safe that people will never see.”

After the meeting Mr Jones said talking to the residents at forums like the one in Ingoldmells was an important way of discovering first-hand what people’s concerns were.

In spite of the challenges the Lincolnshire force faced, he said he was proud of the work his officers did every day. He said: “Commitment, bravery and determination to keep communities safe are qualities that run throughout our force.

“I am proud to have been elected to ensure our force is supported and equipped with the right tools to be able to improve, even further, their ability to keep all our residents safe.

“I believe, working with partners throughout the county, we have an excellent opportunity to create the best force in the UK.”

County Coun Colin Davie, who chaired the meeting, said: “It was great to see so many people turn out to hear the Police and Crime Commissioner’s views on a wide range of questions.”

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