Peter Thomas, Greater Manchester
I was born and live in Greater Manchester and I am proud of my area. On the whole the people are really friendly and there are some really scenic places to enjoy.
However, it cannot be denied that Greater Manchester has a problem with crime. Some areas in Greater Manchester experience double the amount of violent crime, double the amount of car thefts and treble the amount of Burglaries than the national average.
I have to admit that in recent years I have become more and more concerned about the safety of my home and of my family. If anything I think crime or at least the fear of crime is worse than I can ever remember.
When I nip to the shops at night, especially at weekends, I often see lots of young people stood around drinking alcohol and sometimes smoking cannabis, shouting abuse at passersby.
As a man my instinct is to challenge them, but so often you hear stories in the news about people who have been killed by a mob just for saying something back to them so to be really honest I'm too afraid to.
So imagine my surprise when I look on the BBC news website today and read that Greater Manchester Police numbers will be cut by 3,100. That's 25%
I realise that cuts to public services need to happen and I understand that there are difficult decisions to be taken, but I think that by making these cuts the Government are literally playing with people's lives.
The police are already struggling in Greater Manchester with the numbers they have right now. Cutting police numbers by this amount could turn Greater Manchester into a Criminal's paradise With less Police on the streets of Greater Manchester the residents here face a tough decision of their own. Do we live in fear of the criminal element or do we take a stand and risk our own safety?
It seems that the Police cuts will go ahead regardless of the consequences that communities in Greater Manchester will have to suffer. My only suggestion is that the remaining Police need to work with communities to help them solve their problems from the inside. Crime prevention has to be the answer, but how?
When I was a young adult my Dad once said to me that famous phrase: All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. When my Dad told me that I remember thinking that I would never be one of those men who did nothing while others did wrong. I would always stand up for what was right, but with the community over-whelmed with issues such as alcohol and drug abuse and crime, I wouldn't even know where to start
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