THERE are not enough police to attend all burglaries, it has been revealed.

Cuts to Essex Police’s budget means officers are having to choose between shed and business break-ins, or being available to react to life-threatening 999 calls.

The revelations came at a public meeting with Police Crime Commissioner Nick Alston, at which residents raised their concerns about crime levels.

House burglaries in Castle Point have increased by 5.2 per cent when comparing figures between August 2013 and July 2014 and the previous year. It equates to 19 more offences, from 365 to 384.

Meanwhile, sheds, garages and business burglaries have increased by 6.8 per cent – 14 more offences.

Castle Point’s district commander, Ian Cummings, said officers and detectives always attended house burglaries.

He said: “The hard decisions we have to make is if we go to a crime will we get someone prosecuted or is our time better spent looking at the more serious crime?

We have to make the decision of where the priorities are. Yes, I would like to go to every crime, but we haven’t got the resources.” But Barry Palmer, Canvey Island Independent Party councillor for Canvey South, said: “I feel this is how people get the attitude that crime pays. If someone was to go and break into a shed, would you not think it would lead to burgling a house next?”

Mr Cummings added: “If there was an opportunity to go and collect evidence to catch a perpetrator of a garage burglary, yes we would visit. But we want to focus our resources and we need to think do you want detectives going to a shed burglary where the chance of getting finger prints is lower and the harm to the victim is less?

“We have to look at how to be efficient around resources and is the victim going to benefit from us going? Do we treat shed burglaries different to house burglaries?

Yes.”

But business owners have called on the police to take more action.

Zoe Clark’s two businesses – Canvey Skip and Recycling and Canvey Cash4Clothes, in Vikings Way – were raided twice in a fortnight last month.

She claims it is the 20th raid on the Charfleets Estate since January.

She said: “To be fair to the police they did come after our break-ins, but we haven’t been told if they have checked CCTV.

“I don’t think it’s fair comment that domestic break-ins are more important, because it has an effect on the victim.

“We feel vulnerable because these burglars have carte-blanche because they know police haven’t got the resources to catch them. It’s very frustrating.”

VIOLENT CRIME UP BY 28.5 PER CENT

POLICE say an increase in crime in Castle Point is down to an increase in violence.

While house burglaries have increased by 5.2 per cent and non-dwelling burglaries are up by 6.8 per cent, violent crime has increased 28.5 per cent. There have been 181 more offences including actual bodily harm and common assault.

Incidents soared from 634 to 815.

Castle Point’s district commander Ian Cummings said: “For me that’s the most particular crime type that has affected the crime increase.

“About one third of the offences relate to domestic violence, but there are no signs around domestic violence or the night time economy which we can identify as being behind the increase. We know they are increasing and we are monitoring it.”

Meanwhile, an 84 per cent increase in serious sexual crime has been put down as a police success story, as more people are having the confidence to report.

About 30 per cent of the serious sexual crimes reported in Castle Point this year are historical – which means they are one year or more older.

About half of those are estimated to be 10 years or older.

DCI Scott Cannon, from the force’s sexual offences team, added: “The Jimmy Savile scandal was, without a doubt, the catalyst for a number of victims to report a number of sexual offences.

“They read the police are taking allegations seriously and they have more confidence to come forward.

“For me these numbers are a success.”