The Chief Constable says his criticism of the outcomes of cuts to the police budget gives him no satisfaction.

Gary Roberts’ annual report refers to a cut to community policing being one of the influences on a rise in youth crime, which he says was predicted when budgets were slashed under the last two administrations.

The annual report shows a 10% increase in crime, bringing the total number of offences to 2,503 from April 2018 to March 2019.

The force also saw a 24% increase in cases related to mental health issues.

In his report, Mr Roberts said there has also been a increase in youth offending.

He said this was ’in a way that was predicted when neighbourhood policing was reduced and when resources allocated by partner agencies to the prevention of youth offending were cut’.

Following the economic downturn beginning in 2008, the police had their budget cut several times, which resulted in the loss of officers and the closure of several community police stations.

The force closed at least 11 stations and Ramsey and Castletown were relocated into local authority buildings. Five districts were restructured as four neighbourhood policing teams (north, south, west and central).

Mr Roberts told the Examiner: ’We had our first budget cut in 2008, but the real big ones were around 2011 and 2012. ’I said then, and I was really clear then, that there will be consequences to this - and one of the consequences will be crime will go up and the relationship that we have with the public and young people in particular will deteriorate.

’I don’t get satisfaction from saying I told you so, but I told you so and it will take two or three years to rebuild.’

He added: ’I think the tone of criticism is quite muted but it was there [in his report] but bear in mind this was the report for last year and the government has listened and given me an increase of nearly £3m a year from April 1.’

In his 2019 Budget, Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan MHK allocated an extra £3.4m to the DHA, including an additional £2.5m for the police, the first increase the force has seen since 2011.