Presence tasking explains the cruiser shortage problem

Britain's recurring cruiser shortage concerned time on station as much as hull totals. Postwar withdrawals removed sloops and other lower-end presence ships while the remaining World War II cruisers also dwindled. The policing analogy distinguishes catching an offender from preventing an offence through regular patrols. Counting arrests makes successful preventive patrols appear unproductive, because their work can leave little to count. Inadequate coverage can simply shift trouble into areas without patrols. If resources cannot sustain effective prevention, concentrating on response may be the more workable choice, with the higher incidence of trouble that this entails.