Humberside to lose 200 police officers in two years

Humberside Police face cuts of £21.3m over the next two years, according to House of Commons Library research into Government police funding.

Coalition Government cuts could also see Humberside losing around 200 police officers in the two years up to March 2012, Shadow Policing Minister and Hull North MP Diana Johnson claimed today.

Over the four years of the Coalition Government's Spending Review police forces across the country will see funding slashed by around 20 per cent in real terms, with the deepest cuts in the next two years. Meanwhile, the Government wants to spend £100m - enough to pay for 600 full-time police officers - on creating 42 elected political Police Commissioners.

Last month, Humberside's Chief Constable met Diana Johnson MP to update her on his work to minimise the loss to frontline policing in Hull. But already 56 Humberside police officers were lost in the six months to September 2010.

In 2011/12, Humberside Police funding will be cut by 7.5% - or £10.2m. Humberside Police Authority forecast that this will mean a loss of 139 more police officers in the next year. This means that by March 2012 around 200 Humberside police would have gone in two years with more losses to come.

In 2012/13, there will be a further cut of 8.7% another £11.1m.

Diana Johnson MP has expressed concern about what cuts of this speed and scale will mean for police officer and PCSO numbers in our area and for the progress made on tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in Hull.

Diana Johnson MP said: "Humberside has already seen a fall in police numbers in recent months. But with the heaviest Government cuts still to take effect this is just the thin end of the wedge.

"Humberside Police will lose £21.3m over the next two years. The Police Authority's announcement of 139 police officers going in the next year means that Humberside would have lost around 200 police officers in the two years up to March 2012.

"This comes at a time when the Government wants to spend £100m on 42 elected political Police Commissioners. This money could employ 600 full-time police officers.

"At the 2010 General Election the national Lib Dem manifesto promised, in full knowledge of the deficit, 3,000 more police officers across the country. Hull North Lib Dems went even further, promising to 'Scrap ID cards and put 10,000 new police offers on the street'.

"The reality of Lib Dems in government will be up to 20,000 fewer police across the country within four years. As with VAT and student tuition fees, police cuts are another Lib Dem broken promise.

"The previous Labour Government cut crime by increasing police numbers, giving them more crime-fighting powers and sending more criminals to prison. This Coalition Government is reversing all three elements of Labour's approach. Hull people will feel the consequences more than most."

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