Boothstown residents concerned over lack of policing amid rising crime

Residents of Salford village Boothstown are frustrated at the lack of policing in their area saying they are ‘scared in their own community.’

From the outset, Boothstown is a quiet village, home to families and pensioners – but those that live there tell a different story.

One resident told us how their pet rabbit was killed in a sickening attack, she said: “They were obviously annoyed they couldn’t get to the bikes, so they actually killed our rabbit”

A mother who asked not to be named, told us: “You don’t feel safe in your own home, especially with children.” She called the lack of prosecution by police “appalling” and “scary”.

The community of just under 10,000 people have livedin fear after crime rates have steadily increased month-by-month.

In August, police only made one prosecution in the village, despite 54 crimes being reported, according to data from police.uk.

Greater Manchester Police have come under fire from residents for allowing the community to become an ‘easy-target’ for criminals.

Villagers say they’ve become victims of constant robberies and muggings, with one cafe worker saying a group of young men threw objects at her car as she drove her children home from school.

GMP have committed to designating a specific neighbourhood officer to try and tackle crime in the village.

The general consensus among locals is that the police aren’t doing enough to tackle crime in the area, with the head of the local Neighbourhood Watch saying he hasn’t seen a police officer ‘in months’.

“You don’t feel safe in your own home, especially with children.”

A patron at the village pub, The Moorings, said he rang police after his van was broken into on his driveway. He told us that he was unable to get a crime number for the incident as they’d allocated “enough for the week”.

Robin Garrido, Conservative councillor for Boothstown and Ellenbrook, hit out at GMP for not making the most of their resources.

Mr Garrido’s Tory colleague Bob Clarke is receiving much praise among Boothstown residents for his efforts in improving policing in the community. He told Salford Now that an accessible police force is the “backbone of a civil society”.