Shadow Minister warns on police cuts in Hull

Labour's Shadow Policing Minister, and Hull North MP, Diana Johnson today warned that policing cuts announced by Humberside Police Authority will have a "damaging effect" in Hull.

The warning came as Hull's three MPs met Humberside Chief Constable at their Hull Day event held at Hull's Guildhall and after the Police Authority published plans on how the force will cut more than 250 police officers and 120 staff members' posts to save more than £22m in the next four years.

Coalition Government cuts would already have seen Humberside losing over 200 police officers in the two years up to March 2012, and 142 jobs are going in the coming year.

The Hull North MP also raised particular concern about losing experienced police with specialist skills, as heavy cuts are planned in areas such as Humberside Police's Major Investigations Team, the Serious Crime Section and Special Branch.

Over the four years of the Coalition Government's Spending Review police forces across the country will see funding slashed by around 20% 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.

Under the previous Labour Government crime fell because of increases in police numbers and having more crime-fighting powers. As a result more criminals were caught, convicted and sent to prison. Diana Johnson MP has attacked the Coalition Government for reversing all three of these main elements of Labour's approach to cutting crime.

Diana Johnson MP also condemned Lib Dem broken promises over policing, as Nick Clegg campaigned on a manifesto pledge of 3,000 more police at the 2010 General Election. Hull Lib Dems even promised 10,000 more police. With Lib Dems in government the country will actually see 10,000 fewer police officers in the two years up to 2013 - with more cuts to follow.

Hull North MP and Shadow Policing Minister Diana Johnson said: "Humberside Police Authority have officially confirmed that 142 police jobs are being cut in the coming year.

"Combined with the officers that have already gone since March 2010, it means that by March 2012 Humberside would have lost over 200 police in two years. More cuts are due to come in the three years after that in Humberside Police's Four Year Plan.

"As well as losing many experienced officers, Humberside Police will shed specialist skills in areas such as the Major Incident Team, the Serious Crime Section and Special Branch. It means a major weakening of capacity for frontline crime-fighting.

"Local beat policing gets hit with a large reduction of neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs in the third and fourth year. Humberside's Chief Constable is drawing on financial reserves and looking at efficiency savings that protect frontline policing as much as possible. But this degree of cuts must have a damaging effect on the ground.

"Meanwhile, the £100m being spent on having 42 elected political Police Commissioners could employ 600 full-time police officers.

"It's so galling to have fought the last General Election in Hull North against a Lib Dem who pledged, in full knowledge of the deficit, to 'Scrap ID cards and put 10,000 new police offers on the street'. The ID cards are going, but so are more than 10,000 police officers nationally within two years.

"Just like VAT and student tuition fees, police cuts are another Lib Dem broken promise."

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