I’M BACKING DERBYSHIRE’S PROTESTING POLICE OFFICERS

DERBYSHIRE police officers who join today’s (Thursday 10 May 2012) march against Government funding cuts will do so with my support.

Police officers from across the land are due to descend on London to in an unprecedented campaign against the huge cuts to police numbers.

Leading police officers fear public safety is at risk as constabularies face up to massive frontline reductions in the face of 20 per cent budget cuts.

Some 16,000 police officer jobs will go, with 5,000 posts in 999 response units having been axed already.

The strength of feeling among the police officers I have spoken to is simply overwhelming.

Here we have people who put themselves in challenging situations day after day because they are committed to their jobs, to fighting crime and to making our communities safer.

The Government cuts are massively undermining the fantastic job these men and women do, so it’s hardly surprising they feel anxious and determined to fight it.

I’m 100 per cent behind their campaign and will support any Derbyshire police officer who chooses to join the protest.

The strength of feeling shown by police officers is not the first occasion where professionals have come out in protest against Government cuts.

Chief Fire Officers have spoken out about similar cuts to their service while medical professionals have expressed grave fears about the Government’s controversial health reforms.

Isn’t it about time this Government asked the professionals for their views before ploughing on ahead with its reckless campaign of cuts, cuts and more cuts?

It seems that the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrat allies are so determined to make these savings, almost out of stubborn belligerence, that they’re no longer prepared to listen to reason.

When Labour left office in 2010 there were record numbers of police on the street, over 16,500 more than in 1997. The record number of police officers contributed to crime falling by 43 per cent under Labour and the chance of being a victim of crime was at the lowest since records began.

Labour’s proportionate cuts plan of 12 per cent across a Parliament was shown by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, and work by the previous Government, to be deliverable without impacting on frontline services.

Instead of cutting £1bn, the government is cutting £2bn with the steepest cuts in the first two years - and that is why so many valued frontline police officers are being lost.