‘No more police cuts’ warning

GMP Officer

Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner has welcomed a fall in crime — but warned the Government “enough is enough — we can’t take any more cuts.”

Home Office figures show crime in Greater Manchester dropped 11 per cent between April 2012, and March 2013 compared with the previous 12 months. Violent crime, robbery, theft and criminal damage all plummeted.

But PCC Tony Lloyd fears this will be used by the Government to axe more jobs

“It’s good news that crime continues to fall in the face of reckless cuts. The Government will use these figures to justify wielding the axe on the police service.

“The cuts to the policing budget in Greater Manchester have been enormous — £145.5m needs to be slashed from the budget by 2015, which means there will be 1,525 fewer police officers on our streets.

“The police are being expected to do a lot more for less, resources are being spread thinner and the service is increasingly becoming the agency of first and last response, as other public services also bear the brunt of cuts.”

Sexual offences increased by five per cent, with reports of historical sexual offences increasing by a third, making up 25 per cent of all reports.

This week the police watchdog said budget cuts risk stretching crime prevention units by scaling back neighbourhood policing.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's annual “value of policing” report said the majority of forces had adapted to government spending cuts, which will reach 20 per cent in real terms by 2015.

Zoe Billingham, HM inspector of constabulary, said: “In some cases this leaves concerns about how some forces will manage in the face of further cuts. We also have concerns that neighbourhood policing risks being eroded.

“We saw hundreds of police officers telling us their work has changed, with less time in communities and more time doing investigative work.”

Tom Windsor, HM chief inspector of constabulary, said changes to neighbourhood policing could be to the detriment of communities, with PCSOs taking on the roles of neighbourhood policing teams in some areas.

The report identified how job losses, restructuring and national changes to pay and conditions “could have a negative impact on police morale” — described by senior police as the biggest future risk to performance.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy said: “The budget reductions have involved huge amounts of change and reorganisation and upheaval for staff and many painful decisions such as reducing staffing at local police stations.

“The report shows we have got on with the challenge given to us and tried to do our best by the public.”