Police officers speak up over budget cuts
POLICE officers in Newcastle fear policing in the town will be severely affected by cuts to Staffordshire Police's budget.
Eight local officers voiced their concerns over the force's plans to close police stations and continue a recruitment freeze at a meeting with Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper yesterday.
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MEETING: Andy Adams, left, and Dean Colley with Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Inset, our story last year about the A19 regulation being brought into force. Picture: Shaun Smith
The sit-down came the day after Staffordshire Police Authority narrowly voted to freeze the force's 13 per cent portion of council tax rates.
The decision means recruitment will be suspended for another three years and the A19 regulation, which forces officers to retire after 30 years, will stay in place until 2015.
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Police stations in Newcastle and Kidsgrove will also be closed as the force's budget for 2012/13 absorbs a further £6 million in spending cuts.
Miss Cooper met with Staffordshire Police Federation's chairman Andy Adams and secretary Dean Colley, along with current officers and those forced out by A19.
Mr Adams said: "Yvette Cooper wanted to meet local officers and get their viewpoint.
"They raised a number of local issues. The closure of Newcastle police station is a concern, because it's an iconic building and the community knows where it is.
"If there was a desk within the civic office instead it's not going to have the same appeal for people to come in.
"The lack of response officers, who respond to 999 calls, is also an issue.
"The chief constable made a commitment to maintain community policing, but the number of response officers is falling.
"Some of them are replacing community officers, who are being forced out under A19."
The continuation of A19 alongside an extension of the force's recruitment freeze was also discussed.
Mr Adams said: "There are serious concerns about the inability to recruit new officers, and the continued use of A19 is removing the most experienced officers.
"The police authority decision has had a major impact on morale. If people leave there is no way to fill those positions."
Miss Cooper said what she had heard backed up her belief that front line policing was suffering.
"I came to Newcastle because I wanted to hear from officers on the front line about what difference the Government cuts are making," she said.
"Here in Staffordshire I think the chief constable has been put in an impossible situation, facing massive budget cuts.
"There are experienced officers who want to carry on working, but are forced to retire. This doesn't save money long-term because they are not paying tax but the Home Office has to pay their pensions.
"It was really striking to hear from the officers themselves about the perfect storm they are facing."
But a Home Office spokesman maintained the Government's stance that frontline policing was not suffering under the budget cuts.
He said: "As the independent inspectorate of constabulary has made clear, the proportion of the police workforce on the frontline is in fact increasing.
"With some 25,000 officers in backroom posts, there is plenty of scope to make savings while protecting the frontline policing."
Comments
by Marshyman
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 1:30PM
“Another group moaning that cut backs are affecting them and a Politician jumping on the band wagon to gain some points but not promising anything different. I notice the Stafford police driving around in new Audi A4's. Could not a british made/manufactured car do the job. Surely shrewd investment can be made here as well as ensuring UK jobs are maintained. What about reclaiming and using vehicles seized through the justice system. There are many things we all see that are wasted in the Public sector. The leaders of these organisations must understand that the money used by them and their organisations is OUR money and does not grow on trees. All in all if they spent money better, they would not have to cut the front line. There are new and better ways to contact the police and use the officers wisely. Pay them well for what they do, they deserve it. Cut them loose of beaurocracy. Get the main criminals that cause 80% of the crime off the streets, buy British , share local resources with other PS organisations and reduce the high salaries of the top civil servants to less than the PM. If they dont like the cut in salary, I know plenty of good PS middle managers who know what life is really like, ready to jump in their shoes. Why dont the Stafford police use the County PS Network rather than there own. That would save 100's of K per year by using an under utilised data and voice network. Come on police...use the name and not the spin and have some BALLS.”
by mediamaniaX
Friday, February 10 2012, 4:45PM
“So what is miss Cooper going to do now she has seen with her own eyes that Staffordhire police is a sinking ship!?
I am interested to know how the home office or government can keep saying frontline policing will not be affected......... How do they seriously know how all of the police forces operated prior to cutting there budgets by tens of millions. Some will have overspent & some may have been running efficiently resulting in no where else to save other than to reduce the work force by a fifth!!!
The huge number of people leaving due to the cuts all had active, important & necessary roles, regardless of them being front line or what they call back office! The loss will only be a negative for the people of Staffordhire & the UK. The government has a responsibility & duty to ensure the safety of its citizens & I believe in the near future they will not be able to this!”
by CHARRIOT
Friday, February 10 2012, 2:57PM
“Lets also remember they are also removing the Civilian work force and who are they replacing them with,? You've got it Police Officers.”
by NorthStaffs
Friday, February 10 2012, 12:07PM
“Well done to the bobbies for speaking out!
My son is there and I often hear about the problem in Newcastle.
- Shifts so down on numbers they are struggling to attend incidents
- Officers taken off response and placed on neighbourhood teams
- Officers taken off response and placed in Police staff roles
- Officers single crewed most of the time
- Officers leaving and not being replaced
- Officers being replaced by Special Constables
- Officers worried by the lack of new Officers
Through no fault of their own Staffordshire Police is slowly dying a sad and painful death. Once the best force in Britain.....”
by yamahaman
Friday, February 10 2012, 12:00PM
“I think the person who made the comment that, "The proportion of the police workforce on the front line is in fact increasing " should get an award for political speak, I note that they have now moved away from, " front line police officers", to the term" front line workforce" ! Which in english means less police officers. The other members of the police workforce are I take it the support staff who do not have full police powers.
When are the faceless voices at the Home Office going to tell the truth, anyone with half a brain cell understands that no recruitment and forced redundancy means less staff. I am sure some of the so called back room staff, need policing skills and others do not, but you can only spread the butter so far before it becomes a waste of time.”
by gcr321
Friday, February 10 2012, 11:49AM
“Twenty years after the death of Tommy Cooper (a much loved comedy magician) who did much on revitalising 'the fez ' we now have Yvette Cooper (a much loved comedy politician/magician) who is doing so much to revitalise the fuzz. Ironic she is Mrs Balls because she talks pure bollards.....
Her Government : introduced targets, PCSO's, capped annual budgets and introduced freedom of information act which costs the police money and manpower to find out their are no jedi's in Staffordshire Police”