DPP Chair fears police budget problems will mean less officers on the ground

12.13.00pm GMT Thu 13th Mar 2008

Newtownabbey Policing Partnership Chair Cllr Tom Campbell

Newtownabbey Policing Partnership Chair Tom Campbell has expressed fears that police budget problems will mean less officers on the streets. His comments come following news of police budget shortfalls, revealed at the last Policing Board meeting. At the meeting, the Chief Constable outlined plans to shelve the introduction of Police Community Support Officers and reduce overtime working.

The Alliance Councillor said: "This has come as a great shock to me, as it will be to members of DPPs up and down the country. We were promised that the introduction of Police Community Support Officers was to soften the blow of reductions in visible police resources. Now we are told that this is not going to happen.

"On top of this, there are to be massive cuts in the number of full time Reserve officers in the very near future, many of whom are deployed on neighbourhood policing and other key roles.

"This is an extremely worrying development. With intended drastic cuts in overtime working, I am very concerned that the whole concept of policing with the community is going to take a backward step. We are still in a situation where the community has to be reassured that police can respond to the many problems that they face. Anti-social behaviour is a massive blight on our society, and police need the resources to be able to tackle this issue head-on."

ENDS