Coalition cuts slash Humberside Police numbers to 33 year low

Hull North MP and Shadow Crime and Security Minister Diana Johnson has released shock new figures showing that Humberside has fewer police than any time since 1979.

Statistics obtained from the House of Commons Library by Diana Johnson MP reveal that Humberside has been hit by the deepest percentage cut in police officer numbers of any police force in the country.

With the Coalition Government's 20% cut in Police funding taking effect, Humberside Police already have fewer police officers in 2012 than they had in 1979, or at any time since a 33 year low. There were 1,849 Humberside Police in 1979, but only 1,830 by 2012, with numbers peaking at 2,230 under Labour in 2005. In the two years since the 2010 General Election 198 police officers have been cut in Humberside.

With more Coalition police cuts due to take effect before 2015 this figure is due to fall even further.

A survey of Hull North constituents on policing cuts by Diana Johnson MP has also found that Hull people oppose Coalition Government plans to axe the Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) that were introduced by the previous Labour Government. 81.25% of those surveyed opposed scrapping ASBOs, with only 3.1% backing abolition.

These findings will be discussed this Saturday (15 September) when Diana Johnson MP holds a coffee morning on crime and anti-social behaviour at Bodmin Road Church, Padstow Close, Bransholme, from 10am.

From around 12.30pm the Hull North MP will be joined at Kingswood's Asda by John Prescott, Labour's Police and Crime Commissioner Candidate for Humberside, to campaign against the police cuts.

Diana Johnson MP said: "Under Labour there were more police with more powers to fight crime and anti-social behaviour. As a result, more dangerous criminals were taken off the streets and sent to prison.

"It's clear that the Coalition is undermining this progress on all fronts. Humberside police numbers have been slashed to a 33 year low and police powers have been weakened.

"The 2010 Lib Dem manifesto promised, in full knowledge of the deficit, 3,000 more police officers nationally. It's therefore disgraceful that in 2012 Humberside has even fewer police than we had in 1979. Worse still, these police cuts are set to go even deeper before 2015.

"Hull people oppose these police cuts and the abolition of ASBOs."