Police prepared for budget cuts

Slashing almost £7 million from Greater Manchester Police’s budget could mean fewer police on the beat and less safe communities, the Government has been warned.

Labour attacked the coalition after it won a Commons vote pushing through a £6.9m reduction to the force’s grant describing the move as “really damaging”.

The opposition party said the sum was equivalent to the annual salaries of 247 police constables, and warned the cuts could have an “immediate impact” on the number of police on the streets. Across England and Wales, £115m was cut from police budgets, equivalent to 4,161 officers.

Shadow Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: “This will put massive pressure on forces and police authorities who have already set their budgets for the year. While everyone recognises that the deficit must be reduced, this attack on front-line policing could mean fewer police on the beat and risk the safety of our communities.”

Policing Minister Nick Herbert argued that forces would be able to cope with the funding reductions from central Government by making savings in back-office operations.

He said: “We believe that forces can make efficiencies. We do not believe this will impact upon levels of crime.”

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable, Peter Fahy, said: “The Police Service lives in the real world and we recognise that there is a changed economic situation.

“We will need to do things differently and the force has been preparing for this for some time.