Cuts to policing having huge impact on dedicated detectives

EIGHT out of 10 police detectives have said cuts to the service are impacting on their well-being.

Victims of crime are suffering a poorer service because of police budget cuts, a Police Federation of England and Wales survey of some 4,000 detectives indicates. Only 39 per cent of respondents said they were “able most or all of the time to provide the service victims needed” and just 34 per cent said they were able to do the same for witnesses.

Paul Ford, secretary of the federation’s national detectives’ forum, said: “The results of this survey make for very uncomfortable reading but highlight in no uncertain terms the actual impact that the cuts are having on victims, witnesses, detective officers and the police service as a whole.

“This is the sad reality of the state that the service is in. Victims and witnesses are our primary concern and it is grossly unfair that detectives are under such intense pressure to provide the service that the public want and deserve.

“Officers are clearly stretched to capacity and doing their level best to deliver against the odds.

“The austerity cuts are having an effect on everyone but this is totally unacceptable; it is jeopardising the service the public get and will have a detrimental impact on future successful investigations and prosecutions.”

Other results of the poll of nearly 4,000 detectives were that 54 per cent said they did not have the necessary access to technology to work effectively, 80 per cent said cuts had affected their wellbeing and 52 per cent said their working hours were not flexible for those with caring responsibilities.

An overwhelming 88 per cent said an increased workload had led them to feel under pressure while 74 per cent said that work keeps them away from family/social activities more than they would like.

The survey was conducted by the federation from 11 September to 3 October. Detectives throughout England and Wales were invited to participate and there were 3,972 responses, from ranks ranging from Detective Constable to Detective Chief Inspector.