COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Bosses at Coventry’s police force have today agreed not to put up their part of council tax, despite being told to save £38 million pounds this year.


Bishop Derek Webley (left) & Chief Constable Sir Paul Scott-Lee (right) present commendations to two Stourbridge WPCs

The West Midlands force has been told it has to fill a £40 million gap in funding, with £38 million of further reductions needed in 2012/13.

It’s thought over 2,000 staff are set to lose their jobs, amongst them around 1,000 officers, although the numbers have never been confirmed.

Last year West Midlands Police also announced they were bringing in a rule, A19, where officiers with 30 years’ experience will be forced to retire.

273 officers have already gone, with another 357 qualifying over the next two years.

Announcing today that the force’s part of council tax would not be raised to help shoulder some of the burden, Bishop Derek Webley from the Police Authority added:

“The settlement for policing for 2011-12, which requires us to save £40 million, is difficult but achievable, but 2012-13, where another £38 million is required, will be much more challenging. We will have taken a range of steps to meet the savings required in year one, and these will not be available to the same extent in year two.

“West Midlands Police (WMP) is historically disadvantaged because we do not receive the full police funding allocation the government’s formula says we should. In fact, in 2011-12 we will receive £27million less than the formula says we need.

“I think people are wrongly assuming that reductions in the number of officers and staff will automatically lead to more crime. We will do everything we can to preserve the frontline and secure greater efficiency. Keeping the people of the West Midlands safe and reducing crime remain top priorities. However, the cuts, especially in 2012-13, will be very hard to cope with and I want to make sure that the public understand the scale of the challenge we face.”

Warwickshire Police have also confirmed they’ll have to lose 450 staff after being forced to make nearly £23 million of cuts between now and 2014.

Today they have also decided to follow West Midlands Police’s lead and bring in the A19 rule, which will see around 35 officers leave the force over the next year or so,

Hundreds of Coventry Police join London march against budget cuts

HUNDREDS of Coventry police officers have joined a march in London against budget cuts.

Around 300 off duty officers from the city are taking part - part of a 2,000 strong group from the West Midlands.

The march was organised by the Police Federation to show officers’ anger at attacks on take-home pay, terms and conditions, pensions and the unique status of the office of constable.

"Officers are saying enough is enough," said Ian Edwards, chairman of West Midlands Police Federation which represents the force’s 7,800 constables, sergeants, inspectors and chief inspectors.

"Ever since the last publication of the first part of Tom Winsor’s review of police pay and conditions in March last year, the attack on policing appears to have been relentless.

"There are 20 per cent cuts reducing our numbers and separate reviews putting forward changes to our pay and conditions, our pensions and our training and leadership.

"The second part of the Winsor review, published in March this year, threatens to undermine the office of constable and could change the face of policing forever.

Spuffler wrote:But the Tories are the party of law and order........honest......