Police cuts mean 550 fewer bobbies on Lancashire's steets

5:00pm Tuesday 3rd July 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Lisa Woodhouse, Assistant picture editor

POLICE chiefs have confirmed that there will be 550 fewer officers on the beat across Lancashire by 2015.

A report, published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies (HMIC), says the force is in a good position to achieve £44million of savings imposed by the Government by 2015.

According to the document, the force will decrease by 610 staff — reducing the total workforce to 5,430.

The cuts will include 550 officers — a 15 per cent reduction.

A further 20 PCSO roles will be scrapped and 40 non-frontline positions in the next three years.

Meanwhile, police bosses say the force will have a higher proportion of staff working in front-line policing roles — such as police officers, neighbourhood police, traffic and firearms officers — making up a total of 73 per cent of the workforce.

To help meet the funding deficit, the policing precept within Lancashire’s council tax will rise by 2.5 per cent.

Tim Jacques, Assistant Chief Constable, said: “We are really pleased that HMIC has recognised the comprehensive scale of the change programme and we are in a good position to deliver the reductions without impacting on the public as much as possible.

“The way that the reductions have been arranged, the first two years were always going to be the hardest. We have now removed £33million from our annual budget.”

He said he didn’t believe the quality of the service would be affected.

“We are doing all we can to reduce the impact on the service we deliver. This next 12 months will be the toughest because we are taking a big chunk of money out of our budget and we are implementing the new service changes. It will become tougher.

“This may well not be the end of the austerity measures. Lancashire Constabulary will continue to deliver the very best service to people in Lancashire.”

Comments(10)

maxcollie says...
5:12pm Tue 3 Jul 12

Try dailing the non emergency number. You get fed up waiting on the line.Waste of space.

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Plasticbertrand says...
5:24pm Tue 3 Jul 12

It won't make one jot of difference to the policing of Lancashire.

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2 for 5p says...
6:11pm Tue 3 Jul 12

This is pathetic if you believe this is because of the resssesion you are stupid. It clearly says as it always does by 2015 does that mean then if the ressesion is over by then they will re hire? No its just a Tory excuse to cut public spending

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Rob Roy says...
6:34pm Tue 3 Jul 12

Who is the criminals friend? Answer the Coalition.

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mavrick says...
6:54pm Tue 3 Jul 12

We can't have public service on the cheap. It cost's money and we know it. The Tories sustained attack on public services will destroy the fabric of the country as we know it, They have almost completed the privatisation of the NHS by stealth. I hope the so called managers who have achieved the required savings plus on behalf of the Tories are proud of themselves. I do hope those people are the first to suffer the effects of the cuts they have implemented.

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travel happy wanderer says...
7:30pm Tue 3 Jul 12

Will we notice any difference you don't see one now. i called them the other night after seeing someone break into a car when they landed he asked which car i told him he said they don't look to have taken owt how he knew that i don't know he did not get out of his car.

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Info-warrior says...
8:17pm Tue 3 Jul 12

These lunatics that have some how manipulated themselves into positions of power are only intrested in breaking the man in the street. None of these cuts are needed its all a con the Police would be better off investigating the Banksters who have caused all the austerity in the first place hence protecting their own jobs by doing so..G4S are the new police force..the more they cut down the constables on the street the more G4S will fill that void. We have been taken over by lunatics hell bent on reducing the worlds population so if a few more get murdered because there isn't enough constables on the street the more their plan comes to fruition...

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burnleyglentoran says...
8:46pm Tue 3 Jul 12

If it means less of 'em at the road side lifting drivers for do 43 in a 40 then its good.......

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Info-warrior says...
9:22pm Tue 3 Jul 12

burnleyglentoran wrote:
If it means less of 'em at the road side lifting drivers for do 43 in a 40 then its good.......
You may not like the police and you have your reasons I'm sure. Despite that, the police maintain a state of order that allows you to enjoy the freedoms that soldiers who fought and died for in the second world war preserved for you. They also preserve a state of security that our soldiers currently fighting in the middle east have provided for us all. Dog sections and Traffic departments across the country are being disbanded. Station enquiry offices and call centres are no longer staffed by police officers. The number of officers across the UK will be reduced by 16000 by the time this Government have pushed through their so called reforms that were recommended by a lawyer called Tom Winsor who was tasked with conducting an "independent review" but who just happens to be a partner of a law firm that managed the G4S contract to supply staff to Lincolnshire Police. G4S are currently sitting on the sidelines waiting to be called onto the battlefield to replace police officers and believe me - they are coming. They are not as accountable as the police yet they will be given responsibilities for carrying out investigations into crimes that you report. They will have responsibility for looking after those arrested and taken to police stations. They will undoubtedly undertake patrol duties in one form or another through "mission creep" as time goes on yet they wont have the powers of a constable. They won't be prevented by law from taking strike action so they can walk out whenever they like and when they do the remainder of the constables who are left will have to perform their duties and there will be even fewer out on the streets as a result. Remember - it took 16000 officers brought in at short notice to quell last year's riots and restore the order that we all need to live our lives by. Those 16000 officers will soon cease to exist.

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happycyclist says...
10:03pm Tue 3 Jul 12

Anyone who thinks this is good is either a criminal or an idiot. Probably both.

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