In many cases they will then break the news to victims thatthe case will remain on file but not be dealt with.
Chief Superintendent Andy Cooke, of Merseyside Police, said: "We only have a finite amount of resources and we need to use them where they will have the most impact.
"The desk-based investigators will allow us to solve more crimes and deal with incidents more effectively."
Councillor Richard Kemp, chairman of the South Liverpool Neighbourhood Committee, called for the city council to hold urgent talks with the police chief.
He said: "The chief's plan is entirely logical but Ithink a lot of these reported incidents will be about youth dis-order, and when people get no joy from the police, they will call the council."
But burglary victim Madeleine Entwistle, of West Derby, said: "I've lost count of the number of times we've been burgled, but the last time they didn't even bother to come out.
"These changes are only going to make people lose confidence in the police because of this."
Liverpool Riverside MP Louise Ellman added: "The current situation leaves people feeling frustrated and angry because they report a crime and they never hear from the police. That said, there must be effective monitoring of this policy."
ECHO Essentials
* POLICE say the scheme will free up as much as two hours of every PC's shift.
* Assaults, burglaries and robberies will still be handled by beat officers or detectives, as will repeat victims and spates of minor incidents.
.* If the pilot scheme in south Liverpool is deemed a success, it could be expanded to other areas of Merseyside
* You can report a crime anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Victims can get support from Merseyside Victim Support on 0845 3030900
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