MOVES to boost town centre policing must not be at the expense of crime-fighting in residential areas.
Coun Simon Blackburn, of Brunswick ward, has written to Lancashire Chief Constable Steve Finnigan seeking assurances resources will not be diverted away.
He fears neighbourhood policing could be sacrificed in order to tackle drink-related violenc
e in the town centre.
But Blackpool's police chief said today the force's overtime budget would be used to bring extra officers into town centre troublespots and has pledged to maintain the existing community beat teams.
Coun Blackburn, Labour's chief whip, said: "If they want to increase policing in the town centre I'm not saying they shouldn't do that, but it must not be at the expense of people in outlying areas who could then end up with a second class service. To take officers away from one of the most deprived wards in Blackpool and have them separating drunks in Talbot Square is not, in my view acceptable.
"If there is a problem in town centre pubs, why should law-abiding citizens have to lose out on their policing? The community beat managers are absolutely vital and provide a link with the police."
Blackpool's divisional commander Chief Superintendent Russ Weaver confirmed town centre policing was being beefed up as part of Operation Summer Nights but said this would not be done by diverting community beat managers (CBM) from their patches.
He said the only time CBMs would work in the town centre was if they were offered overtime to do so.
Ch Supt Weaver said: "We're doing something around the town centre and one of the areas we want to make progress on is violent crime, but there is no question of diverting resources from the wards. We have an overtime budget which we will use. All categories of crime are reducing in Blackpool but we still have issues surrounding violent crime. We are trying to up policing in the town centre but not at the expense of anything else.
"For the last two years the Reassurance Plus scheme, in partnership with the council, has been very successful in areas like Brunswick and we are dedicated to seeing that continue."
The latest available crime figures show the amount of crime reported in Brunswick ward has dropped from 1,368 offences for the 12 months up to August 2004, to 1,158 for the 12 months up to August 2006.
