Police Federation: cuts will affect most vulnerable

Police officers are warning the Government that cuts to policing budgets will lead to an increase in crime.

Government budget cuts are leading to huge strains in the public sector. In addition to the very real threat of a series of coordinated strikes by public sector unions the Police Federation has issued its strongest warning to date that cuts to policing budgets will lead to an increase in crime.

I wrote in January this year: 

“The government cuts to policing and local authority budgets will have a dramatic impact on levels of serious youth violence; level of community safety; trust and confidence, and reduce the ability of both communities and police to tackle gangs, guns and knife crime.”

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson also recently expressed his very real concerns about the potential impact of cuts on his ability to tackle crime when he stated;

"In a time of budget cuts are we going to prioritise schemes that may prevent the next generation being drawn into a life of crime? If London has had enough of seeing police cordons around blood on the street it will require dedicated, long-term investment to support and mentor those most at risk."

Now the influential Police Federation, representing rank and file front line officers, has entered the fray pulling no punches ahead of their annual conference accusing the Home Secretary of orchestrating a wholly negative press campaign against police officers.

Chair of the Police Federation Paul McKeever speaking to the Guardian said:

"I'm sure there is a campaign of denigration going on, both directly and indirectly from the government and their chosen think tanks and through the press.

"Nobody [in the police service] has experienced this before. The government seems to have a real antipathy to police officers."

He accused the Home Secretary of generating "adverse stories about police overtime and payments which they know are twisting the truth and painting an untrue picture of what happens in the police service".

"The government seems to think it's OK to denigrate and kick cops on every occasion and it has gone too far.

"There is a thin veneer of pretence that the government is supportive of the police, but their actions speak much more loudly than their words."

McKeever added: "Past Conservative governments have treated the police service pragmatically. This government treats the police service as an ideological adventure playground for intellectuals."

"The cutbacks will affect the most vulnerable in society and those least able to defend themselves." The government has cut its funding of policing by 20%, and a review of terms and conditions recommended reforms that while seeing some officers gaining, will see more losing out.

The path to the reform of the police in the UK is littered with the white bones of previous Home Secretary’s that have attempted to radically reform police pay and conditions. As the Home Secretary prepares to address their conference in Bournemouth this week she should be prepared for a very bumpy ride.

The reality for high crime communities is that at a time when we are seeing increases in youth violence those communities there is a growing consensus that as a result they will suffer more misery, as a result of cuts to police budgets. The campaign slogan of Police Federation is “Cuts are criminal”, I couldn’t agree more.

Lee Jasper

Photograph: Ian Waldie