Rowen steps up campaign for end to police funding crisis

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has continued his campaign for an end to the funding crisis in Greater Manchester Police and claimed that: "People are becoming increasingly disillusioned with short opening hours at Police Stations", and called for: "more police officers on the beat in our townships".

Mr Rowen was speaking in a debate at a Liberal Democrat sponsored Westminster Hall Debate on Greater Manchester Police.  He spoke about the budget shortfall that will leave GMP £26 Million short of what they need to deliver a service judged by the Government as ‘fair’ over 3 years. Mr Rowen said: “My three Lib Dem colleagues and I in Greater Manchester will continue our campaign until we receive the police service that Greater Manchester deserves.  I pointed out that that funding shortfall is simply unacceptable and mentioned the serious incident between Christmas and New Year in Littleborough and the serious incident at a Town Centre night club before Christmas.  We need more front line police officers, not less, and I will be stepping up the campaign with my colleagues.”

Mr Rowen told the debate: “I give an example of the sort of problem faced by people in my constituency. It occurred in Littleborough between Christmas and the New Year. Littleborough is part of the Pennines Township. Many people think of Rochdale as being quite urban, but at least a third of it is rural. Gangs of youths from Central Manchester came into Littleborough via the railway station and caused havoc there, in the shopping centre and out towards Todmorden. Shop windows were smashed - thirty-five youths were involved in that attack. The police were called, and they came out, but only three officers were available at the time to deal with the problem. That is what I mean by the thin blue line.

"...People in Littleborough now feel threatened and frightened by what is happening. They feel that the problem has arisen because they are not in the centre, where all the action is. Unless police officers are on the beat in our townships, as the community model dictates, we shall not be able to deal with such issues. Indeed, that is why there are delays in answering the phone and responding to low-level issues. People are becoming increasingly disillusioned, and the good will that has been built up over the past few years is seriously at risk.

"What is behind all this? As I said, the problem is the three-year funding formula. Greater Manchester is not asking for anything extra. Indeed, the Government produced a formula to say how much money Greater Manchester police should have, and if they applied it as it should be applied - without the damping - the majority of the funding problems would disappear. Police stations would not, for example, be shut for huge parts of the day. What is the point of spending a fortune on a brand-new police station at Littleborough if it is not open for much of the day?”

Mr Rowen said after the debate: “We will be continuing to keep the pressure on.  I was born and bred in Rochdale and feel that it’s vital that the people of my town feel safe and that they get the service from the police they deserve.  The officers we have do an excellent job and I pay tribute to their hard work – there is just not enough of them.”