Police on the coast praised for performance in challenging times

That is the message from Chief Inspector Colin Haigh who is in charge of policing in the district.

Ch Insp Haigh was commenting on figures contained in the annual East Lindsey Crime Briefing.

In East Lindsey during the last 12 months, reported crime increased by 1.13 per cent - equating to 85 more crimes compared to the previous year.

In the Coastal Division - which includes Mablethorpe, Alford, Skegness, Wainfleet, Burgh Le Marsh, Ingoldmells and Chapel St Leonards - there were an additional 63 crimes compared to 2016 - an increase of 1.30%.

Matt Bennison, Coast Area Neighbourhood Policing Inspector, said officers had reacted to the concerns of residents about the supply of drugs in Mablethorpe.

He stressed officers were taking part in ‘pro-active enforcement work’.

Insp Bennison explained: “We have seen some good results around crime.

“There has been a lot of work done, including drug warrants and stop searches, which has resulted in around 
20 arrests to date.”

Insp Bennison also stressed the work would continue over the coming months.

In his annual report, Ch Insp Haigh explained policing were operating in what he described as ‘challenging times.’

He backed other senior officers who have called for a fairer funding deal for the county from Central Government.

Ch Insp Haigh said: “We are in an age where all public services are being cut and the police are often expected to fill the void that other services leave behind.

“Lincolnshire Police are still not getting a fair deal with Government funding.

“During a recent inspection of the force by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) it was identified that unless more funding is made available to Lincolnshire, the force will “need to reduce significantly” the number of officers and PCSOs.

“Although Lincolnshire police often makes the headlines due to our financial 
position, it is worth pointing out that we continue to punch above our weight in numerous aspects of policing.”

He said efforts were ‘on going’ to secure more funding from Government.