Public concern about cuts resulting in reduced service

Thursday, 03 March, 2011



Although it has been evident for some time that all public services are under financial pressure the British public would be concerned if the police stopped providing the current range of services, as a result of budget cuts.

In a survey, commissioned by the Police Federation of England and Wales and undertaken by Ipsos MORI, 86 percent of the general public said they would be worried if the police stopped providing the range of services outlined by interviewers; 44 percent say they would be very worried. The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has made clear on a number of occasions that the government view is that police officers should just fight crime, but the reality is that police officers do a whole lot more. At the ACPO 2010 conference The Home Secretary stated; "I couldn't be any clearer about your mission: it isn't a 30-point plan; it is to cut crime. No more, and no less."

The findings from the survey published February 24 show that the public think the police are responsible for a number of services which are not fighting crime, with 84 percent saying they believe the police are responsible for intervening in domestic rows and disputes; 23 percent saying they believe the police are responsible for arranging for vulnerable children to be taken into care; and 39 percent saying the police are responsible for monitoring offenders who have been released from prison.

Indeed, the public feel the police should continue to be responsible for providing a wide range of non-crime fighting related services such as caring for victims and witnesses of crime; monitoring offenders who have been released from prison; intervening in domestic rows and disputes; and arranging for vulnerable children to be taken in to care.

At Police Life we anticipated these cuts long ago and clearly the focus should be on improving efficiencies and reducing bureaucracy and not cutting the front line. Reducing numbers will result in lower detection rates, less prevention etc but will cost the public dear in both the short and long term.

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