Monday, 9 September 2013

Over the next three years Humberside Police Force could lose up to 250 officer posts and 600 civilian jobs due to the force trying to save £30m.

Unions representing the staff and officers have warned that the cuts could lead to an increase in crime as there are fewer police attending call outs. John Blanchard the police federation chairman said that the force is already struggling since the cuts began in 2011.

Blanchard stated ‘We know with that much money to save, there will have to be substantial reductions in staff. That is on top of the hundreds of officers we have lost already. Quite simply, we won't be able to do what we are doing now.”

"There will be some areas that won't get the policing they are used to. There will be very little neighbourhood policing, crime could rise in certain areas and we just won't be able to get to as many calls as we do now.

The assistant branch secretary for the staff union Unison, Tony Green, said: "We are aware of the proposals but not of the specific areas they may come from. We believe losing 600 police staff posts is unacceptable and disproportionate compared with the projected police officer reductions. Police staff provides a vital service and that is far too many to lose. If we reduce the number dramatically, it will be felt by everyone, from people within the force to the community.”

The job cuts will happen between 2015 and 2018. By 2015 the force is due to have lost 444 officers and 176 staff since the government cut 20% from the police budget in 2011.

After news of the latest cuts Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Grove has asked Chief Constable Justine Curran to redesign the force in order to deal with huge amount of staff cut.

A joint statement from Ms Curran and Mr Grove provided by the force said: "It is still early days in relation to how the force is going to meet the financial challenges ahead, and we are not responding to those challenges by simply looking at reducing officer and staff numbers.

"We are examining how we can redesign policing to best protect the public through sound financial management. We are involving staff from all parts of the organisation in this work and recognise that it will inevitably lead to a smaller organisation. We are not, however, able to provide any more detail on this at the moment as it is work in progress, and not something we will seek to rush."