Police chief 'not complacent' after criticism

A police chief insisted he was "not complacent" after his officers were accused of not doing enough to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Ch Insp Paul Hogben, district commander for Basildon, said his teams were commited to securing justice for victims of crime.

Figures from Essex Police showed 430 more offences were solved and 900 fewer offences were recorded in the town in 2025 than in 2024.

Hogben's comments followed the leader of Basildon Council, Gavin Callaghan, claiming the town had been "badly let down" by the force.

A report by the policing watchdog in 2025 found Essex Police missed opportunities to stop anti-social behaviour by failing to record where crimes had occurred.

Hogben argued his officers were there when people "needed us most", attending almost 16,000 incidents that year.

"We've solved more rape and sexual offences, and more domestic abuse cases," he said.

"We've tackled and solved more drug possession cases, more violent crime and more shoplifting offences."

Illegal use of e-scooters and adapted electric bikes have been a priority for police in Basildon.

They seized an e-bike that could travel 40mph (64km/h) in January.

But Labour council leader Callaghan claimed on Friday that officers had not done enough to tackle crime.

The authority has paid for community safety wardens to patrol the town centre since 2022, at an annual cost of £250,000.

Speaking to the BBC during a patrol, Callaghan said he had no confidence in the force "to do the job properly".

Hogben said many issues in the town centre could be attributed to one person, who had since been given specialist treatment after police intervention.

"This is a better outcome for them and action that has made a tangible difference to businesses, shoppers, and visitors in the town centre," he added.

The chief inspector also said Basildon's neighbourhood policing team had recently expanded.

He continued: "I know there is more to be done and I am not complacent.

"We will continue to work with our partners to tackle issues as they arise and put in place long term solutions to make Basildon an even safer place to live, work, and visit."

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