ACPO has downplayed comments – including by Cambridgeshire Police – of eastern European migrants straining police resources.
Responding to media reports concerning the impact of migration on policing, Peter Fahy, chief constable of Cheshire and co-author of an ACPO paper on the subject said: โMigration has had a significant impact on UK communities in past years but while this has led to new demands made on the police service, the evidence does not support theories of a large scale crime wave generated through migration. In fact, crime has been falling across the country over the past year. Many migrants are young professionals looking to earn money and return to their home countries. Cultural differences such as attitudes to offences like drink driving may exist, but can be exaggerated.
โThe influx of eastern Europeans has created pressures on forces in some areas, including local rumour and misunderstandings fuelling tensions which police have had to be proactive in resolving, and leading to significant increases in spending on interpreters, which can also make investigations more complex. Better forecasting and data-sharing between local agencies to pick up changes in local populations quicker is necessary to help anticipate the issues.
โMinisters acknowledge some of the challenges arising for the police service and we welcome the opportunity for a proper debate about the issues.โ
