Hundreds of police officers are to be taken off Greater Manchester’s streets as the force face a £41million slash to their budget – leaving the community ‘at risk’.
Police and Crime Commissioner, Tony Lloyd revealed that millions have been taken from Greater Manchester to fund government ‘pet projects’.
The latest government plans will mean by 2020, GMP’s budget will have been cut by almost half in just a decade.
PCC Lloyd said: “The way this Government is relentlessly continuing with its cuts to policing is unfair to the people of Greater Manchester and is making it more and more difficult for Greater Manchester Police to provide an effective service.
“We have already lost 1,100 police officers from the streets of Greater Manchester and this year we are facing another cut of £41m, which there will be hundreds of fewer police officers on our streets.
“How does the Government expect GMP to keep communities safe if we haven’t got enough bobbies on the beat?
“Ministers continue to justify cuts to policing by claiming that crime continues to fall. In Greater Manchester, this simply isn’t true.
“Crime has risen by 8% this year, particularly violent crime and domestic violence. While Greater Manchester Police have faced up to the financial challenges by transforming how policing is delivered and making sure vulnerable people are protected, the Government has to recognise that they are putting communities at risk.”
This year, the Government has taken back almost £10million to pay for pet project. This money is enough to pay for 200 police officers in Greater Manchester.
PCC Lloyd said: “To be losing almost half the policing budget by 2020 is unpalatable. What makes it even more galling is how the Government continues to claw back millions from our police to pay for pet projects that have no benefit to the people of Greater Manchester.”
This news follows PCC Lloyd’s decision to freeze the police element of the council tax bill, meaning Greater Manchester residents pay just £2.93 towards the cost of policing, one of the lowest rates in the country.
“It may be small consolation to local people that I’m not asking them to pay any extra towards local policing this year, but the reality is that they are being forced to pay more in other ways with cost of living increases and cuts to other public services all having an impact on neighbourhoods,” adds Tony,” he added.
PCC Lloyd, along with GMP Chief Constable, Sir Peter Fahy, and other political, civic and community leaders from across Greater Manchester, will join next week to look at the impact the cuts are having on safety of local neighbourhoods.
PCC Lloyd said: “The police aren’t alone in this – statutory organisations and the voluntary sector have also seen their budgets slashed with more cuts to come.
“This event is at the start of a conversation I want to have with organisations, agencies and local people across Greater Manchester to see how we can work together to make sure these cuts do not undermine the safety of our neighbourhoods.”
The public event will place on Monday February 16 at 2pm in the Elizabethan Suite, Bury Town Hall, Knowsley Street, BL9 0SW.
Attendance is free but places are extremely limited.
To book a place, email [email protected]
