Police on frontline are feeling the strain
IN response to the article about police numbers (Chief Constable talks of ‘real strain,’ M.E.N., June 14), when Ian Hopkins said his number of officers was 6,297, one has to remember that not all of this number are operational.
If you take into consideration the senior office team such as the chief constable, deputy and assistants plus those officers who are office-based, you would be shocked by the number of actual police officers on frontline duties – such as response and neighbourhood.
I know that some police officers since the Arena tragedy have been working their rest days and 12-hour shifts to ensure that they can attempt to provide a service to the community.
It does not help when protesters commit public order offences as we have seen very recently.
I would also like to thank the City of Manchester police (North Manchester division) for success in bringing offenders to justice after a number of operations where firearms and bladed weapons have been used due to drugs.
On a final note I do hope that Baroness Beverley Hughes, deputy mayor of the Greater Manchester combined authority for policing, will apply as much pressure to central government on GMP’s dwindling numbers. Stephen Holt, chairman, Parkmount Residents’ Association, north Manchester