Police in Witham are clearing up more crime than most police section in Essex.

And this is despite being up to 30 per cent under strength, according to senior officers.

Detection rates in the Witham section are above the county average.

Officers there achieve their response time targets of 20 minutes in 94 per cent of incidents, compared with a divisional average of 83.4 per cent.

The section's detection rate was 28.2 per cent, compared to the Essex force average of 25.7 per cent.

At a meeting of the Police and Community Consultative Group with Witham residents and community leaders on Tuesday, Braintree divisional commander Chief Supt Sue Harrison said the Witham section was under strength.

However, she added that recruitment was not a problem.

Mrs Harrison said: "For the last 15 years we have more people than we've lost, but working for the Metropolitan Police in London is more attractive so we do have people going out."

Published Thursday October 17, 2002

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette