Fifty-five officer posts at risk in money-saving proposals

MORE than 250 jobs, including 55 police officer roles, will be cut from South Yorkshire Police by April 2017, according to new projections.

Despite Chancellor George Osborne’s proclamation in the Comprehensive Spending Review that there would be no more cuts to policing The force needs to find £10.5 million of savings to break even in the 2016/17 financial year.

To plug the gap, 55 police officer posts and 214 support staff roles will need to go.

The force – which is currently recruiting – said is hoped these will be achieved through retirements and voluntary resignations.

Less than a third of the police officer roles to be cut will come from neighbourhood policing teams, according to Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings. This would comprise seven officers from Sheffield, three from Rotherham, four from Doncaster and two from Barnsley. The number of PSCOs will remain unchanged at 225.

South Yorkshire Police Federation has warned the public that they face paying more for less, as the cuts come despite a planned 3.3% increase in council tax precept contributions.

Neil Bowles, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said frontline officers are likely to pick up the work of the lost staff roles.

“I have asked the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner to openly challenge the Government about how it is misleading the public – they are not protecting the police at all,” he said. “The local taxpayer will be paying more for a lesser service.”

He added that there are more officers retiring than the posts that need to go, so that is why there is also a recruitment plan.

The force has already been forced to cut around 900 jobs in the last six years to save more than £50 million from its budget.

Dr Billings has said that despite George Osborne’s plans to freeze police funding rather than cut it, the police grant will still reduce by £1 million with no provisions for inflation costs.

“Since 90% of expenditure is on salaries, this means there will be some job losses,” said the PCC.

“The task of reducing numbers was begun in 2015 and at this stage further reductions can probably be managed through posts becoming vacant as people retire or leave the force.”