Police Federation Responds to Spending Review

Responding to today's Comprehensive Spending Review announcement, Paul McKeever, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, says:

"We are pleased that the government has listened to our concern regarding the detrimental impact a cut of 25 percent would have on policing and public safety. Whilst no cuts are desirable, police officers appreciate the current economic climate and we recognise that a 4 percent cut each year over four years is more manageable. But let's not pretend it will not be extremely challenging; this is best case scenario the government has presented based on a certain level of council tax precept going towards policing and it does not take account of inflation. We are still likely to see a reduction in police officer numbers and the varying demands on the service increase all the time.

"Whilst appreciating the government's view that we should purely fight crime, the reality is that police officers deal with a multitude of tasks every day that fall outside of this remit, including the care and welfare of vulnerable citizens in society. These cuts could mean that areas not covered by other agencies, such as dealing with people on the streets with mental illness, drug and alcohol issues and missing person enquiries, are the ones that suffer."