Chief’s warning over ‘exhaustion’ in police
West Yorkshire’s chief constable has warned that cuts to resources in the county, combined with the demands of a growing population, are putting increasing strain on her “exhausted” officers.
Dee Collins said residents of West Yorkshire now total 493 for every police officer, a rise of 30 per cent in the past ten years.
WEST YORKSHIRE’S chief constable has warned that cuts to police resources in the county, combined with the demands of a growing population, are putting increasing strain on her “exhausted” officers.
The claim by Dee Collins came on the day the top officer in another large urban force claimed police would face “real challenges” tackling a repeat of the 2011 riots following years of budget cuts.
Dave Thompson, chief constable in the West Midlands, said a series of major incidents to hit the country in recent weeks has laid bare the strains faced by forces under financial pressure, raising the risk of a breakdown akin to that which hit the prison service in 2016.
In a statement issued jointly with police and crime commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson, Miss Collins said residents of West Yorkshire now total 493 for every police officer, a rise of 30 per cent in the past ten years.
She said that this and other factors were generating huge demands, which it was increasingly difficult to meet.
Since 2006, the number of citizens per officer has risen from 379 to 493, which is above the national average of 467, according to police. This is due to a six per cent population rise and a 19 per cent decrease in officers, down from 5,687 on 2006 to 4,624 in 2016.
Miss Collins said: “Put simply, the greater the ratio of officers to citizens, the higher the demand.
“While many people in our communities have little interaction with the police, we will always have to tackle criminality and provide support and reassurance to the vulnerable. People need the reassurance that we are there when they need us.
“The significant and increasingly complex challenges of everything from cyber crime to child sexual exploitation is putting a further added strain on resources, as of course is the everpresent threat of terrorism.”
She added: “I am extremely concerned by the loss of 1,063 police officers, particularly given that Neighbourhood Policing is our vital bond with our many and varied communities.
“Terrorist incidents in recent weeks have highlighted now much communities need our support and reassurance. Community cohesion is a priority for the PCC and a vital part of our work and we cannot afford to lose what we have spent so long building up with our communities, through that neighbourhood approach.
“We are working hard to change the way we do business, harnessing new technology to enable us to work smarter, changing the way we work and a crucial element, focusing on our recruitment on building a workforce that better represents the communities it serves.
“I am extremely proud of my officers and staff, many of who are exhausted, having worked incredibly long hours to meet demand and manage largescale incidents in the past few months. However, our resources will only stretch so far and my concern is just how sustainable this in the long term, without an uplift in funding and resources.”
Earlier this week, the Home Office said it was in “detailed engagement” with police over planned funding changes after a stark warning from the head of the Metropolitan Police that it could not afford further large cuts.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned that the Met – which is already facing cutbacks of £400m – stands to lose between £174m and £700m a year under the proposed changes, which would see more money go to smaller forces.
The greater the ratio of officers to citizens, the higher the demand. Dee Collins, West Yorkshire Chief Constable.