THE number of crime reduction officers operating in Brentwood has been reduced from two to one – sparking concerns that criminals could be given an easy ride in the borough.
Essex Police has also announced that it is losing a licensing officer in huge budget cuts.
The new crime reduction officer will be Tony Ellis, 62, who already covers Epping and from February 11 will also cover Brentwood.
But the new arrangement is being introduced at a time when burglaries are on the rise.
David Kendall said: "I am not at all questioning Tony Ellis' ability. I am just concerned about his workload and the time that he will be able to spend in Brentwood, particularly at a time that burglaries are on the increase.
"I just don't think this is a good time to be reducing the number of crime reduction officers.
"Police say they want more support from the public to fight crime.
"If we are going to lose a crime reduction officer, what I would like to see is a dedicated neighbourhood watch co-ordinator.
"We did have one who was very effective. Brentwood had one of the best neighbourhood watch schemes in Essex."
Chris Hossack, Brentwood's representative on the community safety partnership, played down the impact of losing a crime reduction officer.
"The crime reduction officer that we are sharing is a dedicated officer whose role is purely to reduce crime.
"I am not saying that it is better than what we had – we are going to lose a crime reduction officer at the end of the day – but it is better than it appears on paper."