Government has little clue about demands on policing, says GM Police Commissioner

Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd

Tony Lloyd, Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner, has welcomed a report by an influential Parliamentary Select Committee which criticises the Government for failing to understand the impact of policing cuts.

The report, published by the All-Party Public Accounts Committee, highlights a significant failure by the Home Office to provide police with the tools to provide an effective service to the public.

Mr Lloyd said: “As this report says, the Home Office clearly have little clue as to the demands on modern policing. The comments of the committee echo my own and those of police, civic and community leaders across Greater Manchester – despite the hard work of officers and staff our police service is under real pressure.

“This Government repeatedly uses crime statistics as a justification for slashing policing budgets but as this report highlights, this argument is seriously flawed – the police don’t only deal with crime.

“Police are increasingly dealing with complex issues, such as mental health and child sexual exploitation, and while here in Greater Manchester, the police now work much more closely with local authorities, the voluntary sector and other agencies to tackle these issues and reduce the number of victims, the stark reality is that continued cuts threaten this work and the service’s ability to fight crime.

“That a group of MPs have found significant failings in the Government’s approach to police funding has to be a wake-up call for Ministers. There is time to reverse the damage and make sure local policing is properly resourced and I urge the Government to step up to that call.”