Merseyside Police Bosses Say NO To More Police Cuts
Merseyside Police Federation and Police and Crime Commissoner Jane Kennedy want people to sign their petition against more cuts to the force.
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner has joined forces with the region’s police federation to launch a petition urging the Government to end the cuts to Merseyside Police.
Jane Kennedy and the Merseyside Police Federation have started a joint petition on the UK Government and Parliament petitions website calling upon the Prime Minister David Cameron to put an end to the budget cuts.
Merseyside Police are being forced to consider cutting all their PCSOs, disband the mounted section and the basic command unit structure which has served the Force for 40 years. This will mean a loss of a further 1,400 people by 2018/19.
If the petition receives 10,000 signatures it will receive a government response and if it receives 100,000 it will be considered for debate in Parliament.
The Commissioner is now urging people across the region to help Merseyside Police by signing the petition at . They intend to submit the final petition to the Government before November 25th when the Chancellor will announce the funding for the police for the next three years.
Jane said: “There was an overwhelming response to the open letter I put out to the public of Merseyside last week and I am grateful for all the messages of support and understanding which I received.
“Now I am urging the people of Merseyside to help the police by asking the Prime Minster to bring these cuts an end.
“The Chief Constable and I have worked really hard to make the police as efficient as they can be. We have streamlined every process. We have improved communications and equipment. It is no longer a case of improving efficiency; if the cuts are to be made next year we will have to fundamentally change the way policing is delivered to the detriment of everyone who lives here.
“The sad reality is that our police service will not be able to provide the really effective crime prevention, community safety and victim support services it has done in recent years. The danger is it will become an emergency only response to 999 calls.
“From all the messages, emails and letters I have received, I don’t believe this is what people on Merseyside want from their police service and the Federation and I are standing together to ask Merseysiders for their help.”
Chairman of the Federation, Pete Singleton said: ““Cuts of this magnitude can only seriously damage our ability to serve the public and protect them from harm. The public of Merseyside are not stupid – they understand by losing more than 40% of the workforce – up to 1, 600 of those warranted Police Officers – they will not get the service they expect or deserve.
“They know there will be less people to protect the public, less people to respond to the public’s calls for help, and less people to listen to the public’s concerns.”
Merseyside Police has already been forced to cut its budget by £77 million since 2010, with a further £48 million worth of cuts already being demanded by the Government the end of the financial year 2018/2019. This means they must cut the strength of the Force from 7,300 in 2010 to 4,400 by 2019.