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Independent report highlights cracks in policing due to budget cuts

By 25 March 2018No Comments

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has published a report this week stating ongoing financial pressures are leading to cracks in policing across the nation.
The independent report is the latest in a series of evidence highlighting the impact government cuts are having and says financial pressures are stretching forces, putting people at risk and means officers unable to keep people safe in some very important areas of policing.
The report states: ‘About a quarter of forces are all too often overwhelmed by the demand they face, resulting in worrying backlogs of emergency jobs, with officers not attending incidents promptly, including those involving vulnerable people’.
Stephen Morgan MP has been campaigning for a better funding deal for Hampshire Constabulary and has called on the police and crime commissioner to do more to protect policing in Portsmouth.
Stephen said:
“Our police officers are working day in, day out, to keep us all safe in the face of substantial pressures, dramatic increases in demand and rising numbers of complex crimes. I thank officers and police staff on the way they have tried to maintain services for our communities despite dwindling resources.
It remains clear from this independent report and from the discussions I have with officers that policing in our communities is under significant stress.
Whilst officers, staff and PCSOs rise to significant challenges every single day, it is now time the police and crime commissioner listens and ensures effective action to address the problems we face here in Portsmouth”.
Louise Haigh MP, Labour’s Shadow Policing and Crime Minister, commenting on this police effectiveness report also said:
“We’ve had all the Tory spin on police funding but this week we are finally getting to the truth.

First the stats watchdog raps the Prime Minister for misleading claims and now the independent inspector is sounding the alarm – warning that some forces are so stretched that the lives of vulnerable people are being put at risk.
It’s time the Tories owned up to the public because their cuts have left our police at breaking point and our communities at risk.”
HMICFRS is an independent inspectorate, inspecting policing and fire and rescue services in the public interest. It assesses and reports on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces and fire & rescue services.
It reviews all 43 police forces in England and Wales together with other major policing and law enforcement bodies.