Have your say on police budget

OLDHAMERS are being given the opportunity to have their say on how Greater Manchester’s police budget is spent.

Residents can give their views online, which will be considered by Greater Manchester Police Authority when it sets its budget in February.

GMPA chairman Councillor Paul Murphy said: “The authority decides how the budget should be spent on behalf of local people, so it’s vital we know what people think.

“We are in a challenging situation and have to make savings of £134 million by 2015. This means we’re going to have to make some tough decisions so it’s important we listen to the needs of the public.

“Their views will help us decide where resources should be focused, to ensure we are providing an efficient, effective police service to our communities.

“Last year, almost 1,000 people took part in the consultation. The most popular choice for the 2011-12 budget was to increase the spend on neighbourhood policing by 5 per cent.

“In response, we have invested more resources in this area and remain committed to embedding neighbourhood policing teams in communities.”

The authority has launched a budget simulator website — www.budgetsimulator.com/GMPA — which challenges users to create a budget for 2012-2013 by deciding how much money should be allocated to different policing departments while ensuring the budget remains balanced.

The site closes on December 18. Every person who takes part will be entered into a prize draw and a feedback newsletter will be issued once the budget is set.