http://uk.news.yahoo.com/000515/115/a6yqg.html

Monday May 15, 7:30 PM

Police battling ‘inner-city anarchy’ Police forces in the inner cities
are so short-staffed they are barely able to control the “anarchy” on
the streets, according to the head of the Police Federation.

Chairman Fred Broughton will call on Home Secretary Jack Straw for a
Royal Commission to look into the future of policing.

The Federation, which represents rank and file officers in England and
Wales, says the police service is at its lowest ebb in recent memory.

Mr Broughton, speaking on the eve of the Federation’s annual conference,
said the public was losing confidence in the police while funding was in
complete disarray.

He said 90 police stations had closed down in the last 18 months.

He also claimed that forces in London, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester
were so short of officers that they were unable to control what he
described as they the anarchy on the streets late at night.

“There is a sense of disorder, and anarchy in many of these areas,” Mr
Broughton said.

“Most people would avoid these hot spots altogether as there are no
police officers to turn to.”

No-go areas He highlighted areas outside pubs and nightclubs between
2200BST and 0200BST which had become no-go areas for many people.

Mr Broughton said the time had come for a review of policing including
an examination of the structure of forces, of police training and the
merits of patrolling.

He said a Royal Commission would be able to examine the future role of
policing in a balanced and non-partisan way.

He also said that crime-busting schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch and
special constables could not replace effective policing.

“The truth is that all these alternatives have failed,” he said.

“We are seeing communities with no policing at all.”

Mr Straw and Tory Leader William Hague will be among a host of high
profile figures to join hundreds of police officers from around the
country at the Police Federation conference in Brighton over the next
four days.

Dave French, chairman of the constables section of the Police
Federation, will tell delegates on Tuesday of poor management in the
force, dwindling resources and the “haemorrhaging of good officers on a
daily basis faster than the drip feed of new recruits can replace them”.

Other debates at the conference will cover issues such as sex offenders,
liquor licensing powers and driving on drugs.

Mr Straw is due to make an address on Wednesday and is expected to
criticise politicians who snipe at the police.

On Thursday Mr Hague will pressure the government to abolish the legal
principle of double jeopardy and allow people to be tried twice for the
same crime.

The proposal has been condemned as “knee-jerk headline seeking” by Home
Office Minister Paul Boateng