Arrest cuts now or face policing ‘crisis’

ANGRY councillors have slammed a move which will create a crisis in policing as cuts from Greater Manchester’s force are redirected to fund policing in London.

GMP has suffered an additional £6.4 million cut for 2014 - equivalent to 145 fewer officers. The cut will help to pay for an extra £110,000 for City of London Police. That force asked for money to deal with events of “major national interest” such as major Old Bailey trials.

Another £950,000 will go to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and £160,000 towards a scheme to recruit people from outside the police force into top police jobs.

At tomorrow’s Oldham council meeting Councillors Steven Bashforth and Colin McLaren will outline the issues.

Councillor Bashforth said: “It is infuriating that money from Greater Manchester will be going to London to pay for their policing. It is taking money from one of the poorest areas of the country to give it to one of the richest areas. It’s unbelievable.

“It is really important that people understand what is happening to the police and full council is a way of doing that and grabbing people’s attention. We have a crisis in policing in this country and people simply do not realise how close to the edge we are.”

Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd and Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy have already called for the Home Secretary to reconsider the cuts.

Mr Lloyd has also asked councils for a £5 to be added to the average Band D council tax bill from April to pay for policing in Manchester - a move that has angered councillors across the county.

Councillor Bashforth said: “If Oldham Council refuses to agree to the rise, it will seem like we are compromising on policing in the area.”