A survey has revealed that almost every police officer questioned in North Yorkshire fears spending cuts will result in poor public service, low morale and increased crime.

A fresh attack has now been launched on Government funding cuts, which will see hundreds of police staff lose their jobs in North Yorkshire, with the regional branch of the Police Federation, which represents officers, saying there will be no way of protecting frontline policing or communities from increased crime.

Ninety-nine per cent of police officers from North Yorkshire who responded to the online Police Federation survey said morale had fallen.

This was blamed on planned police budget cuts, the possible reduction in police officer numbers and changes to their terms and conditions, and how these will impact upon the service they are able to provide the public.

Of those asked, 87 per cent believed cutting police officer numbers in North Yorkshire would have a detrimental effect on crime levels.

As a result of the cut to police officer numbers, 84 per cent believe their workload has already increased or will increase in the future and 94 per cent believe there will be a decline in service delivery in North Yorkshire due to planned budget cuts.

Mark Botham, chair of North Yorkshire Police Federation, said the figures stood in “stark contrast” to the views expressed by the Government that cuts to policing were achievable without crime rising or affecting service delivery to the public. “The message from police officers in North Yorkshire is loud and clear,” he said.

“They feel they are being hit from all sides by this Government who, in addition to attacking their terms and conditions, are imposing a 20 per cent cut on the service which will undoubtedly lead to increased levels of crime and a poorer service for the public in North Yorkshire.”

North Yorkshire Police has overhauled its structure and is looking to shed 350 jobs in the wake of spending reductions which have left the force needing to save £8.9 million in the next financial year.

Mr Botham said: “Cuts of this magnitude are criminal and, despite the very best efforts of rank and file police officers, will undoubtedly lead to a poorer service for the residents and businesses in North Yorkshire.

“That is why it is imperative that those who live and work in North Yorkshire make clear to our local politicians that a cut of this magnitude to the police budget needs to be urgently reconsidered by national government before it is too late.”

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Halting the slide in police morale

POLICE morale in North Yorkshire was already plummeting before the recruitment scandal which saw chief constable Grahame Maxwell severely reprimanded for gross misconduct.

A survey by the Police Federation has revealed that 99 per cent of officers in North Yorkshire said morale had fallen because of planned budget cuts, and the consequent reduction in police numbers. Almost as many – 87 per cent – feared the cuts would lead to an increase in crime.

The North Yorkshire force has, in recent years, made huge strides in tackling criminal behaviour. Mr Maxwell himself played no small part in that, with a series of reforms designed to put community policing at the heart of what the force did.

Good use has also been made of police community support officers to raise the profile of policing in local neighbourhoods.

Yet despite all the good work that has been done, this is clearly a force that is in crisis.

The savage cuts being imposed – the force is looking to shed 350 jobs in the wake of public spending cuts – was always going to hit morale.

But officers’ faith in their chief constable will inevitably have been further badly shaken by the scandal in which he was involved.

We only hope that, if he does remain in post, he somehow manages to halt the slide in morale, and regain the confidence of the frontline officers who have been doing such a good job of fighting crime on our behalf.

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