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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64412127 The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is to reduce its number of staff by 6% in the coming months. By March there will be 309 fewer police officers and 115 fewer civilian staff.

Wasn't sure we're to stick this feel free to move it mods. But cheered me up this morning. BE WARNED STRONG LANGUAGE just in case your in company http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U3ORoCJgxJc&sns=em

Police are deliberately not calling helicopters because they cost too much or take too long to arrive, potentially allowing criminals to escape, according to a damning new report. Full Story - Independent It's good that this problem is being reported by quite a lot of different news agencies, but it's sad that almost half of calls are cancelled because the helicopter would arrive too late. It's good that HMIC accepts that all NPAS delivers is cost saving and not a better service. Regarding coverage, about a year ago when base closures were announced there was an image going round on twitter that showed that lots of the country won't be in easy reach of a helicopter at all. Derbyshire police is considering pulling out of NPAS completely and I assume that there would be no replacement either (http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/police-warn-cuts-threaten-helicopter-824655).

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/politics/4969204/theresa-may-slashes-413million-from-police-budget-after-vowing-to-protect-cops/ I have been staggered to read this and the budget overall. So not only is there no increase or mention of police within the budget it turns out another half a billion has been sneakily cut. This government is a disgrace and as I have said before this is ideological rather than necessary. I think we need to dig out the bonesaw now, we’ve well and truly started cutting in to the bone. This isn’t intended to be a brexit debate all over again but I find it so frustrating that 3 billion can be found to be set aside for Brexit over the next 2 years, something which is completely unnecessary in the first place and going to actually cause us more misery. Not to mention the actual settlement bill which will run in to billions. Its just so frustrating. Where is all the extra funding specifically for Mental Health services? Particularly with the changes to 136, where is the extra money desperately needed for social care? This government is a collection of jesters and fools.

The Metropolitan police are to stop investigating many lower level crimes as a result of spending cuts, a senior police officer has said. Full Story - Guardian I know many commentators in the press and social media are lambasting this, however common sense says cutting spending will lead to less officers which will lead to more crimes not being investigated. Why are people surprised?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41677046 This is being reported across a lot of the papers and news programmes. Difficult reading again for chiefs and the government. Surely it is becoming harder and harder for them to keep their heads buried in the sand particularly when we are talking about rises in violent crime, knife crime and serious offences such as murders. This linked with the recent discussions on the unprecedented terrorism threat. There was a minister on the news at lunchtime regurgitating the same old lines about protecting police budgets, flat cash or slight increases in budgets etc etc. I also think they have used up the excuse now of crime rising due to better recording practices as this was used to explain rises last year. Will it make any difference though?

Lord Ian Blair warns the Met will be a quarter less in size than when he left the force. Lord Ian Blair A former Metropolitan Police commissioner says it would be "an absurdity" to further cut the force's funding after recent events in London. Lord Ian Blair called for a rethink over plans to cut hundreds of millions of pounds from the force's budget, saying this would leave the Met a quarter of the size it was when he left office in 2008. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned the city has lost "thousands of police staff" since 2010, while the current Met Commissioner Cressida Dick said she would "obviously" be seeking extra resources. "I think the crucial point now is to understand the cuts being considered, certainly for the Met, need reconsideration," Lord Blair told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "As far as I understand it they're supposed to lose a further £400 million by 2021, on top of £600 million in the last few years. "That means the Met must be a quarter less in size than when I left." Lord Blair, now a crossbench peer, went on to call for "no cuts", adding: "Looking at what is happening, the idea of continuously cutting the police service's budget seems an absurdity at this stage." Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackay has said the Westminster and London Bridge attacks had put a "lot of stretch" on the Metropolitan Police. The Metropolitan Police Federation has also warned that officers are fatigued and "stretched beyond belief" after a string of major incidents. Lord Blair said these incidents would put extra pressure on specialist officers such as counter terrorism, adding: "It just seems a very strange time to be reducing the capabilities of a service which is holding the line against some terrible events." The former commissioner said neighbourhood policing is crucial to building trust with communities, but is very difficult to maintain when major incidents happen and officers are needed elsewhere. Lord Blair said it was "no surprise" Monday's attack at Finsbury Park Mosque had happened. "There is this kind of new landscape of terrorism, which the new commissioner Cressida Dick described, where the weapons are knives from kitchens or just hiring a van," he said. "It does create a very difficult problem for the police." View on Police Oracle

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40342031#

Police Scotland has outlined plans to cut officer numbers by 400 as part of its 10-year policing plan. Chief Constable Phil Gormley said recruitment levels would remain unchanged in the current year, but would begin to slow between 2018-20. He said resources would be re-directed to frontline operations, amid big financial challenges. Last December, the spending watchdog said Scotland's police service was facing a £188m funding gap by 2020-21. Mr Gormley said officer numbers had been at historic highs but said some staff had been used for corporate, rather than community roles. As part of a new strategy, Policing 2026, he said police officers would be released from corporate and backroom roles, with priority given to frontline operations and a more visible community presence. Some corporate roles will also be cut. Mr Gormley said that changing technology meant that not everyone involved in fighting crime would be a serving police officer. And he added that the workforce would be given new training to fight cybercrime. Fighting cybercrime Andrew Flanagan, chairman of the Scottish Police Authority, said action must be taken but said police officer recruitment would only be cut if approved by the SPA. He told a press conference at the launch of the new strategy: "We are anticipating a small reduction in police officer numbers through to 2020. "It would be around 400, but that would come towards the end of the period, rather than early on. "We expect police officer numbers to remain at their current level through the coming year and only gradually reduce thereafter." He added: "I must stress - we will not reduce police officer numbers until we see these productivity gains coming through. "So, actually, we are anticipating the amount of operational policing will actually increase through the period through to 2020." As part of the new strategy, people across Scotland are being invited to give their views on how Police Scotland should be shaped over the next 10 years in a 10-week consultation. Police Scotland has pointed out that patterns of crime are changing - often enabled by new technologies. The population profile is also ageing and becoming more diverse and the duty to protect the vulnerable is becoming ever more complex. It said the police service must adapt and develop its capacity and capability to maximise public safety and remain operationally and financially sustainable. Add most value The force said the new strategy would create a workforce of police officers and staff who are focused on where they can add most value to protecting and serving the public. It suggested that technology and new ways of working would lead to greater productivity and more time tackling crime and addressing issues around vulnerability. The workforce mix would also evolve as new skills and capabilities were developed. The strategy would recognise that police are dealing increasingly with vulnerable people who need medical or social care rather than law enforcement officers. Key areas in the new strategy: Prevention - tackling crime, inequality and critical problems facing communities Protection - based on threat, risk and harm Communities - focused on localism, diversity and the virtual world Knowledge - informing the development of better services Innovation - becoming a dynamic, adaptable and sustainable service Mr Flanagan and Mr Gormley announced the consultation in Edinburgh. Mr Flanagan said: "The SPA and Police Scotland have spent many months assessing the changing nature of communities and their demands on policing as well as analysing the changing nature of crime. "From a position of strength, we need to ensure that Police Scotland adapts to these changes and has the range of skills and capacity to deal with growing demand and that we do so in a financially-sustainable way." 'Must transform' He added: "Policing is a vital public service and it is essential that we listen to those we wish to serve to ensure we meet their expectations. "Through this consultation we are asking for everyone to provide their views on the approach outlined today and I would urge as many people as possible to take part." Mr Gormley said: "Policing in Scotland has gone through significant transition; it is proudly one of the oldest public services in the world. "Now the service must transform to realise and release the full benefits of being a single organisation. "Local policing will remain at the heart of what we do, supported by a wide range of specialist capabilities. "In an ever-changing world, people will continue to turn to the police service for a myriad of reasons, which means it's never been more important to understand our demand, both current and future, in order to be able deliver a service which is relevant, has legitimacy and above all maintains the trust and confidence of the public." Officers on the beat Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said Police Scotland must "embrace new approaches" and said the Scottish government had provided an enhanced £61m reform budget for 2017-18 to support the changes. "While our Programme for Government is clear about the need to consider the right mix of skills and not just overall numbers, the public will always be interested in the number of police officers on the beat," he said. "We will pay particular attention to these issues before approval of the final strategy. In all circumstances, I would expect to see the number of police officers remaining significantly above the number we inherited in 2007. "Indeed, our enhanced funding gives police the platform to invest in the wider workforce, technology and other resources to keep communities safe." He added: " I urge all those with an interest to have their say on this next phase of policing in Scotland." Anyone who wants to contribute to the consultation should submit their comments by 8 May. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-39097972

CRIME scenes may now be guarded by a private firm after Wiltshire Police signed a contract with Securitas. http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/14279920.Police_sign_crime_scene_guarding_contract_with_Securitas/?ref=mr&lp=4 I believe Dorset and Gloucestershire have also contracted out, so I will assume Avon and Somerset will shortly follow suit as they are part of the major crime unit with Gloucester and Wiltshire already. How long before we see a merger to become Wessex Police?

Metropolitan Commissioner took delivery of £65,000 Range Rover, complete with a £1,000 back seat entertainment system, just days before warning cut backs could put the public in danger Link

Some good news for us. There seems to be a lot of talk about scrapping PCC's and reducing the number of police forces across the UK.

May battles it out with Osborne over police funds: Home Secretary under pressure to stand up to the Chancellor over proposed budget cuts By Daniel Martin Chief Political Correspondent For The Daily Mail 02:01 18 Nov 2015, updated 09:24 18 Nov 2015 Theresa May is holding firm against frontline policing cuts amid pressure Treasury has asked her department to create plans for cuts of up to 40% Chancellor will meet with Home Secretary today to thrash out the details May is under pressure to win better deal for police after the Paris attacks Theresa May is holding firm against cuts to frontline policing as she comes under pressure to stand up to George Osborne. The Treasury asked the Home Office, like most government departments, to draw up plans for spending cuts of up to 40 per cent for next week’s review. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3323111/May-battles-Osborne-police-funds-Home-Secretary-pressure-stand-Chancellor-proposed-budget-cuts.html

Police forces in England and Wales could save £1bn a year by outsourcing backroom services to private companies, private security firm G4S has said. The firm signed a £200m contract with Lincolnshire Police in 2012, with G4S staff now employed in backroom roles. John Shaw, from G4S, said it has saved the force £6m a year - and other forces could "easily" make similar savings. The Police Federation of England and Wales said any changes should "not compromise public safety". Its chairman Steve White also said any savings would have to be reinvested into policing. G4S, which faced heavy criticism when soldiers had to be deployed at the London Olympics after the firm admitted it could not fulfil its security contract, signed a 10-year deal with Lincolnshire Police in 2012. Its staff are employed in police control rooms, custody suites, in areas of firearms licensing, as well as in financial, HR and technology roles. Mr Shaw, the firm's managing director for public services, said the model in Lincolnshire could be replicated elsewhere, potentially saving £1bn a year across all 43 forces. Even if John Shaw is only half right the savings police could make from running their back and middle offices more efficiently would still amount to £500m - a colossal sum. So why haven't more forces explored the approach he suggests? Partly it's because some constabularies have an institutional distrust of the private sector, made more acute by G4S's security failings during the Olympics. It's also perhaps due to the risk-averse nature of some forces: radical change is not in their DNA. And it's down to this stark truth: changing the way police support services are managed means changing the managers. And, as one wise old policing hand put it, turkeys don't vote for Christmas. Mr Shaw said: "We save about 22% per year here in Lincolnshire and on an individual force basis we think that similar levels of savings are easily achievable. "But actually if you combine together you can then make greater savings." He said there was no "one size fits all" solution, but added that there were "a range of things" you could do with other forces to make savings. It comes as three police forces in the East Midlands - Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire - have asked G4S to carry out a feasibility study about the outsourcing of their control rooms. 'Drag and drop' Sara Thornton, the National Police Chiefs' Council chairman, said police budget cuts meant forces were having to make "fundamental changes". Some forces are already using private sector support while others "are considering it", she added. But she said decisions about how to meet those targets would be taken "at local level" by chief constables and police and crime commissioners. Police Federation chairman Mr White said: "Privatisation may be working well in some force areas but there is not a one size fits all solution. "There is much to consider, not least varying force structures and accountability, but there needs to be a balance when considering private sector involvement. "We are not averse to exploring greater efficiencies, as long as it does not compromise public safety and if any savings made are retained by the service to invest back into policing." Former chief constable Peter Neyroud said you could not just "drag and drop" such a model on all police forces. The former head of the National Policing Improvement Agency said he was cautious about "extrapolating too much from Lincolnshire example". Original article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34864781

Police cuts: David Cameron tried to save constituency stations By Nick HopkinsInvestigations correspondent, BBC Newsnight 13 November 2015 From the sectionUK Politics Image copyrightAP David Cameron privately lobbied to stop the closure of police stations in his constituency as the force tried to find £60m of savings, the BBC has learnt. The disclosure has prompted Labour to accuse him of "jaw-dropping hypocrisy". Number 10 said Mr Cameron had acted in his capacity as a local MP who believed Thames Valley Police could make savings without affecting front-line services. This week it emerged Mr Cameron, MP for Witney in Oxfordshire, is involved in a row over cuts with the county council. The PM had written to Oxfordshire council leader Ian Hudspeth saying he was "disappointed" at proposed cuts to elderly day centres, libraries and museums. The Tory-run council said it had little choice because its grant had fallen sharply - from £194m a year in 2009/10 to £122m this year. 'Out of touch' Downing Street has now confirmed to BBC Newsnight that Mr Cameron also lobbied Thames Valley Police to try to prevent the closure, or partial closure, of police stations in the region. In the last parliament, Thames Valley had to find £57m worth of savings. Despite being praised by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for being an efficient and well-run force, it still closed seven police stations, and reduced opening hours at others. One police source told Newsnight the force had done the best it could but could not afford to keep open stations that "hardly anyone ever uses". Shadow cabinet minister Jon Ashworth said the prime minister was "completely unaware" of the effects of budget cuts in local communities. "I think it's jaw-droppingly hypocritical from the prime minister because the reason these services are being cut in his constituency is because he is cutting them," he said. "He is the first lord of the treasury, he is the man who is signing off George Osborne's cuts plan, so I'm surprised that the prime minister is so out of touch with what the impact of these cuts would mean that he is now lobbying organisations in his own constituency against the very cuts he is implementing." 'Sensible savings' Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said Mr Cameron's lobbying of local police chiefs showed a disconnect between politicians in government and those implementing cuts. "It's a bit disingenuous to have some politicians say they want to protect their own local police station but actually they know full well that it will be at the cost of other police stations around the country or indeed in the force," he said. Downing Street denied that Mr Cameron was being hypocritical. A spokesman said Mr Cameron had spoken up as a local MP during conversations with local police chiefs. "He wants to see local authorities and the police making sensible savings through back office efficiencies and joint working," he said. No 10 said the prime minister believed it was possible reduce costs without affecting front-line, high-quality public services.

Home› Most Read› Live Feeds› News› Man City› Man Utd› Sport› What's On› Business› In Your Area› Apps› Dating› Buy, Sell & Tell› Jobs› Puzzles› Play Casino› Email Newsletters› Fantasy Football› Home› Most Read› Live Feeds› News› Man City› Man Utd› Sport› What's On› Business› In Your Area› Apps› Dating› Buy, Sell & Tell› Jobs› Puzzles› Play Casino› Email Newsletters› Fantasy Football› NEWSGREATER MANCHESTER NEWSWIGAN Gunman threatens to shoot two police community support officers after fight in Wigan 16:32, 18 NOV 2015 UPDATED 16:34, 18 NOV 2015 BY PAUL BRITTON Major police investigation launched and detectives are appealing for key witnesses to come forward 11SHARES 2COMMENTS Google Street View Gidlow Lane, Wigan Two police community support officers were threatened by a man armed with a handgun as they ran to split up a fight. Detectives in Wigan have launched a major investigation and are now appealing for a number of key witnesses to come forward. The PCSOs were talking to two members of the public on Gidlow Lane in Wigan when they saw a man being assaulted further up the road by another man. The ran towards the fight shouting to the attacker to stop, but he pointed the gun at them and threatened to shoot them, ordering them not to come any closer. The victim of the attack got up from the floor and ran off. The gunman got into the rear passenger seat of a silver BMW which was driven away. The incident took place at around 10pm on November 12. A 28 year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and has been bailed pending further enquiries.

Six police and crime commissioners have threatened the Home Office with legal action over changes to the way police forces in England and Wales are funded. The group, which also includes London's deputy mayor for policing, have written to the government arguing proposals are "deeply flawed", the Independent said. The signatories, five of whom are Tories, say they will seek a judicial review unless the changes are halted. The government has said the old funding formula was "not fit for purpose". New proposals, which the Home Office is currently consulting on, set out changes to the way central government allocates funding to the 43 forces in England and Wales. Image copyrightPA Under the proposals, funding would take into account five features of local areas, including population and the number of council tax band D or equivalent properties in the area, because of the contributions to police from council tax. Other factors would include the number of households with no working adult and dependent children, a "hard-pressed" population indicator - which covers a wide range of types of households, and the number of bars per hectare. While some forces could see their budgets increase under the new system, analysts suggest 11 forces could lose out on funding. The letter to Policing Minister Mike Penning, warning that the proposals are "unfair, unjustified and deeply flawed", has reportedly been signed by police commissioners representing: Cumbria Lancashire Devon and Cornwall Merseyside North Yorkshire Thames Valley London's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime It says Lancashire Police's annual budget will be cut by £25m - nearly 14% - and Cumbria Police's "viability" will be brought into question if its funding is reduced by £9m under the reforms. Police services in Britain face a "milestone moment", and the government's decision could shape policing "for a generation", it says. The group said they were "taking legal advice with a view to initiating a judicial review" should their concerns "not be addressed". Image copyrightGetty Images Image captionJustice Minister Mike Penning has said police funding needed to change Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, Clive Grunshaw, said the move had not been properly handled. "It's not been an open process. It's not been transparent. There's been no proper understanding or scrutiny that's been available to challenge the process because we just haven't understood what it's actually meant." 'Fair and robust' Mr Penning has previously said the reforms, which would take effect in the next financial year, would put police funding "on a long-term, sustainable footing". The current Police Allocation Formula, which has been used for nearly 10 years, is "complex, opaque and out-of-date", while the new system would be "fair, robust and transparent", he has argued. Image copyrightLancashire PCC Image captionLancashire police commissioner Clive Grunshaw has criticised the proposed funding changes The Commons Home Affairs Committee is due to hear evidence about the proposals on Tuesday, with a Home Office consultation, which began in July, due to end on Friday. Last month London Mayor Boris Johnson said the changes would "severely disadvantage" the capital. He told the London Assembly its impact "has not been properly thought through at all". Chancellor George Osborne is due to announce the latest departmental spending review in November, which will set out the details of the Home Office budget beyond 2015-16. The Met believes it will face cuts of up to £1bn, prompting Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to say it would lead to a reduction in the number of front-line officers. But the Home Office said forces would still have the resources to do their work. BBC: Full story Parliament TV: HASC Reform of the Police Funding Formula starts at 14:45

The number of UK officers investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been cut from 29 to four, the Metropolitan Police says. The Met said the "vast majority" of the work in its inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance had been completed. It said no conclusion had been reached but it was now following a "small number of focused lines of inquiry" which was why the team had been cut. Madeleine's parents said they "fully understand" the decision. They said they remained "hopeful" their daughter would be found. Madeleine, from Rothley in Leicestershire, was three years old when she went missing from her family's holiday apartment at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007. 'Exceptional case' Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, from the Met, said: "The Met was asked to take on this exceptional case as one of national interest. "We were happy to bring our expertise to bear only on the basis that it would not detract from the policing of London; and the Home Office have additionally funded the investigation above normal grants to the Met. "That will continue at the reduced level." Thursday 3 May 2007: Timeline 20:30 Kate and Gerry McCann leave their apartment to have dinner at a Tapas bar 21:05 Gerry McCann checks on Madeleine and her siblings 22:00 A man is seen carrying a child wearing pyjamas heading towards the ocean 22:00 Kate McCann raises the alarm that Madeleine has gone missing Clickable map and timeline Mr and Mrs McCann said: "We are reassured that the investigation to find Madeleine has been significantly progressed and the Met has a much clearer picture of the events in Praia da Luz leading up to Madeleine's abduction in 2007. "Given that the review phase of the investigation is essentially completed, we fully understand the reasons why the team is being reduced. "We would also like to thank the Home Office for continuing to support the investigation. "Whilst we do not know what happened to Madeleine, we remain hopeful that she may still be found given the ongoing lines of inquiry." 'Potential sightings' Officers have now finished bringing together and investigating the information held by Portuguese police, the UK investigation and the private investigators working on behalf of the McCann family, the Met said. The force said the inquiry had taken 1,338 statements and collected 1,027 exhibits but had not reached a conclusion yet. Officers investigated more than 60 persons of interest, the Met said, adding that a total of 650 sex offenders had also been considered as well as reports of 8,685 potential sightings of Madeleine around the world. Having reviewed all of the documents, "7,154 actions were raised and 560 lines of inquiry identified", the Met said. It said more than 30 requests had been made to "countries across the world asking for work to be undertaken on behalf of the Met". Detectives have been working through material and following lines of inquiry since the Home Office requested a review of the case in May 2011. Operation Grange, which is supporting the Portuguese police, became a full investigation in July 2012. Madeleine McCann case: Police team cut to four - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34661256 Without wishing to sound to callous about bl**dy time, there are more pressing needs facing the met facing the met right now.

Two of the country's most senior police officers have signalled that the era of routine patrols by "bobbies on the beat" has come to an end. The comments have been made by the chairwoman of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), Sara Thornton, and Craig Mackey, the deputy commissioner of the Met Police. They said funding cuts would lead to a transformation in investigating crime. The Home Office said police reform was working and crime was falling. The police service does not have a ring-fenced budget and has been told to expect a 25% to 40% reduction in funding in November's Comprehensive Spending Review. 'Funding from banks' In an interview with BBC Newsnight, Mr Mackey said the Met was anticipating a £1bn cut in funding, which could lead to up to 8,000 job losses - a quarter of the force. He said compulsory redundancies were now a real possibility. He said it was inevitable the threshold for investigating certain crimes would rise, which would involve victims getting a telephone call rather than an officer at the door. The Met, he said, was also considering seeking funding from banks and other big business to help pay for investigations into certain offences - such as cyber crime. "We are driving out costs everywhere we can but when you get to these sorts of figures it will be challenging...on our scenarios some of the services you previously got face to face you won't get in the future," he said. 'Independent police force' Mr Mackey said the force had to think of "completely different models of working" to tackle cyber crime. "We should be working with business and industry to achieve that... and they can help with paying for that," he added. Asked if that meant direct funding for policing programmes, he said: "Potentially. I think that is one of the things we are going to have to think about as we go forward." Mr Mackey admitted there were "all kinds of ethical hurdles" to consider and that it would not be comfortable for an independent police force. "But we absolutely have to explore it," he added. A certain amount of "DIY policing" would also help the force, he said. "Getting people involved in the whole notion of prevention work and crime detection work has got to be part of the future." 'Fewer cops' On the totemic issue of "bobbies on the beat", Ms Thornton, formerly chief constable of Thames Valley, said: "It's a difficult one because it's one of those features of policing that the public have come to like and respect over many, many years but in fact the evidence would say that random police patrol doesn't prevent crime, doesn't solve crime, it doesn't in fact make people feel safer." Asked if she thought the days of routine patrols were over, she said officers would "always respond to the pub fight, domestic abuse, to people in difficulty" but, in the future, patrols would not be focused on areas of low crime. Minister for Policing Mike Penning said police reform was working and crime had fallen by 8% year-on-year and by more than a quarter since 2010, according to the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales. "Over the last five years, frontline services have been protected, public confidence in the police has gone up and crime has fallen to its lowest ever level," he added. The changes made since 2010 have made it easier for the police to do their job by cutting red tape, scrapping unnecessary targets, and giving officers the discretion to use their professional judgement, he said. "Decisions on the operational deployment of resources are matters for chief constables, in association with Police and Crime Commissioners, but there is no question that the police still have the resources to do their important work. "As HMIC has shown, what matters is how officers are deployed, not how many of them there are in total." BBC: Full story

Fresh spending cuts threaten to undermine the financial sustainability and operational viability of some police forces, the official policing watchdog has warned. For full story please use the following link. http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/20/policing-uncharted-waters-cuts-hmic I just wonder how the government will spin this or will they simply ignore these warnings? After all its obvious that they are right about police reforms and everyone else is wrong :-) I did find this quote concerning though "It was “conceptually possible” that even efficient forces could struggle to remain viable, the report said." To me it seems to warn that every force is at risk, regardless of size or how well they have adjusted to the reductions in funding.

Police would struggle to monitor terror threats if further significant cuts were made to budgets, a chief constable has told the BBC. Without funds for neighbourhood policing a "significant footprint of terrorism" could be overlooked, Steve Finnigan of Lancashire Police said. Greater Manchester Police chief Ian Hopkins said some burglaries may not be responded to immediately in future. The Home Office is rewriting the Whitehall funding formula for police. Meanwhile ministers are negotiating on the settlement the Home Office itself will receive at the Spending Review. 'Footprint of terrorism' Mr Hopkins, recently appointed chief of the GMP, warned some thefts, such as mobile phones being stolen, might not be investigated in future. He said phone thefts could be reported on a website. He said the police could provide a better, cheaper service by working more closely with health, mental health and social workers. Chancellor George Osborne has asked government departments to draw up plans for 25% and 40% cuts. Chief constable Steve Finnigan said if his budgets were cut on that scale he feared he would lose all his local policing teams. Citing the case of a 15-year-old Blackburn boy imprisoned for plotting to behead police officers, he said: "Here in Lancashire we have got a significant footprint of terrorism that we have to keep a very close eye on. That would be made very difficult if I had to do away with neighbourhood policing." He has previously warned that with further cuts his force might not be viable. Spending directly allocated for counter terrorism has been protected by the Treasury. Budgets have fallen, so too have headline crime figures. That makes it very hard for chief constables to insist more cuts will cripple them. But crime accounts for just part of their workload. Road accidents, protests and missing people are all police business There is no perfect way to guess what demand they will face in the future, or how well they do at the moment. No way either - for now - to know how much money they will get. The Home Office is engaged in what one observer described to me as a "bloody knife fight" with the Treasury. The Inspectorate that judges police is clear though: some forces have done much better than others at making plans. From some there are ambitious ideas for change. From others, particularly off the record, you hear what is either forthright lobbying - or panic. A great many, though worry budgets will force them to retreat from communities, which in turn could threaten their legitimacy with the public. And almost to an officer they agree, policing will look very different in the future. Correspondence seen by the BBC shows the government is considering whether elected Police and Crime Commissioners should have greater powers to put up council tax. At the moment they need to hold a referendum if they increase the charge for policing on council tax bills by more than 2%. Some Police and Crime Commissioners want the referendum rule scrapped. 'Routine incidents' Mr Hopkins told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that police could use technology to record phone thefts, provide crime numbers to victims, and identify spates that the police would then look into. "In the background our systems are carrying out the analysis and saying well actually there's a spike in that particular area or a hotspot that you need to investigate. "But on a routine incident like that, actually you'd get the crime number, it would be filed and we would do very little with it." Police would always respond to a burglary in progress, or to vulnerable householders, he said. But he said in the event of a homeowner returning from a weekend away to find that a break in had occurred, officers might not come immediately. "If you're someone like me or yourself who's perfectly capable of phoning your insurance company, getting the locks sorted or the window boarded up then I don't see the necessity for us to turn up at that stage. "We can investigate that slow time." Police minister Mike Penning said: "Police reform is working and crime has fallen by 8% year-on-year and by more than a quarter since 2010, according to the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales. "However, if we want policing in this country to be the best it can be, then we must reform further, and that includes putting police funding on a long-term, sustainable footing." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34609112 Sooner or later I fear this will blow up in the government's face. I just pray it's not a successful terrorist attack that proves the so called reforms (cuts to everyone else), have gone to far.

The safety of London is at risk from budget cuts which could mean the loss of up to 8,000 police officers in the capital, the head of Scotland Yard said today. Evening Standard: Full story

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-34503004

Fears of a renewal in serious youth violence in London are growing after it was revealed that youth gang offences are up 23% in the last year, while a spate of fatal incidents in the last month has once again focused attention on Boris Johnson’s key pledge to tackle serious youth crime in the capital. http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/11/police-cuts-blamed-rise-in-youth-gang-offences-in-london Can't say I'm surprised it's not rocket science after all. Our political leaders make all the right noises when one of our own is killed in the line of duty, but sad fact is they really don't give a damn.