They fear the ­service is being forced to plug gaps for other areas, such as mental health, and this is hitting the fight against crime. Police chiefs should prioritise emergency response, violent and sexual crime, organised crime and terrorism, researchers were told. Just 16 per cent of people said they saw an officer on foot patrol last year – down from 39 per cent in 2010.

Sir Michael Barber, who is chairing the Foundation’s independent probe into the service, said: “High expectations are not being met. The ­public feel police have withdrawn from the street as resources have become more stretched.” 

Less than eight per cent of recorded crimes ended with a suspect being charged in the year to March 2019. 

And police closed almost half of investigations without a suspect being identified. The Police Foundation warned: “Public ratings for police understanding and acting on local concerns, being reliable, treating people fairly and of confidence in local police all declined.” 

The Foundation’s research comes after a scathing report by the police watchdog, the HMICFRS, which warned the public has given up on the force solving some offences. 

Matt Parr, HM Inspector of Constabulary, said the failure to probe high-volume crimes such as car theft, minor assault and burglary had damaged trust. 

He said: “The ­public has rumbled that police capacity to deal with this is extremely limited. There are strikingly low figures about car crime resolution, meaning most of the public simply give up reporting it because the chances of anything positive happening are so slim.” 

A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesman said: “As we boost officer numbers, we will be able to do more proactive policing and bear down on crime and violence. This will help people feel safer.” 

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