PCC slams ‘Reckless and dangerous’ cuts to police budgets

Tony Lloyd

‘Reckless and dangerous’

The latest announcement comes after the government revealed £11.5bn cuts would be made across all public services – with the Home Office expected to lose 6% of its budget.

Mr Lloyd said: “Enough is enough. These further cuts are reckless and they are dangerous.

“To be frank, there’s only so much they can take.”

Mr Lloyd, who stood as a Labour candidate in November’s commissioner election, added: “The police service has done its part, by making savings, delivering real efficiencies and working together with other agencies.

“Both the chief constable and I remain wholly committed to building the safest communities in Britain.”

The latest crime figures show an 11% drop in overall crime in Greater Manchester from 2012-13.

However, the Greater Manchester Police Federation said it feared the police force would go back to the “old days” with reduced proactive policing.

Ian Hanson, chairman of Greater Manchester Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said: “People take for granted that the police will attend when called.

“In the years to come now, much more is going to have to be done over the phone and the force is going to have to make some difficult choices to stop doing the things which the public take for granted.

“I think community policing will suffer and I can see us going back to the old days where we quite simply respond to things.”

Under current police regulations, police officers cannot be made compulsorily redundant.