Police Federation calls for radical solutions to policing crisis
Policing is facing a potential crisis as a depleted service struggles while more spending cuts lurk around the corner, according to the vice-chair of the Police Federation.
Mr Riches welcomed calls from the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales this week, calling on Home Secretary Theresa May to look at joining up public services to cope with any further proposed cuts to policing budgets as the service strains to cope with protecting the public.
He warned of a potential crisis facing the police service ahead of the comprehensive spending review next month: "We are seeing a police service which is struggling to cope with the levels of pressure it is currently facing. Dramatic cuts to funding, and the possibly of facing yet more, mean we need to now look at more dramatic solutions.
"We welcome a move to look at public sector funding in the round as it is often the police who end up picking up the pieces. We've long said 43 forces as model is unsustainable, collaboration is all well and good but now time to give serious consideration to the number of forces in England and Wales and whether that is still sustainable. The government is talking about saving money through procurement of equipment like police cars and boots - but this is small comfort to the public if there are no police officers available to use them.
"The public are seeing fewer officers in their communities as forces contend with losing 16,000 officers in just four years. There is a widening gap between the service officers would like to provide, and the public rightly expect, and the resources available. We are facing a possible crisis situation unless we look at more radical options."
Chief Superintendent Irene Curtis, president of the Superintendents’ Association, is speaking out as they hold their annual conference this week, which the Home Secretary is due to attend.
Ms Curtis said the scale of cuts facing policing at the next comprehensive spending review in November, coupled with the changing demand for policing services, will significantly impact on the police service's ability to cut crime and protect people from harm.
She said: “The government needs to listen to what people at all levels of the service are saying about the impact of the proposed budget cuts. If these go ahead, then there needs to be a radical rethink of how public services are funded and delivered. If this isn't addressed, then the next round of cuts will have a fundamental impact on all public services. Almost everything that the police deal with today has an impact on, a crossover with, or a root in another public service; whether that is health, education, social services, housing or something else."
“Government cannot look at policing budgets or services in a silo any more. We need to think differently about how public services can be delivered better, in a more integrated way that reduces future demand everywhere,” added Ms Curtis.
