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City MP on Police Cuts: ‘Enough is Enough’

By 23 January 2018No Comments

Stephen Morgan MP calls on Government to fund cash-strapped forces as 160 jobs slashed in latest round of cuts.
The Member of Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan, has slammed the Government for repeated cuts to police forces. Hampshire Constabulary have announced that 160 jobs are to be axed as part of the latest round of cuts to the force.
Officers will be lost in the dogs, traffic, and intelligence and surveillance units as the police are forced to save £25 million over the next four years. Hampshire has already seen the policing budget fall by £80 million and 1,000 officers lost since 2011.
Commenting on fresh cuts, Stephen Morgan, said:
I met with the Chief Constable only last week about my concerns over the levels of crime in our great city and action being taken. Relentless cuts to policing continue to hit Portsmouth’s hard working officers and the communities they serve.
Under the Tories, officer numbers have fallen to their lowest level in 30 years, it is little wonder the police have also recorded the highest crime rises in a decade.
Yet, Hampshire Constabulary are still being asked to save a further £25 million over the next four years. This just isn’t good enough.
The Government must urgently provide our police with the resources they so desperately need to do their job safely and effectively. I’ll continue to press the Government to do just this”.
Police and Crime Commissioner, Michael Lane, also announced that his office’s budget is set to increase by £440,000, roughly the cost of 10 police officers, for ‘essential staff’, drawing criticism from Hampshire Police Federation Chairman, John Apter.
John Apter has said:
“At a time when we’re fighting for our officers to be equipped with more Taser to keep them safe, when our colleagues are going out single-crewed to violent jobs because there are not enough police, I know many officers will look at this with contempt”.
Stephen Morgan MP added:
“In my regular conversations with local businesses affected by crime, meetings with police chiefs, and out on night patrol with community officers, I can’t say that more money for the PCC’s office has been raised as a priority.
At a time when we’ve seen such huge cuts to police budgets, I want to see more money spent on frontline and neighbourhood policing in Portsmouth to bring down crime in our city’s communities”.