“We’ve lost the equivalent of every officer policing Doncaster”

SOUTH Yorkshire Police has lost 494 officers since 2010 – equivalent to losing the entire policing force for the town of Doncaster.

Across England and Wales cuts to the police service means there are 21,000 fewer officers than there were eight years ago, figures have shown. 

South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Zuleika Payne said the drop in South Yorkshire officers was ‘significant’ especially when it’s set against the fact that demand hasn’t decreased.

“The processes involved in policing haven’t changed,” she said, “and demand hasn’t decreased, so the work and the interaction with the public that officers still need to do, dealing with enquiries, paperwork etc is all still there.”

And the thin blue line becoming even thinner is impacting on officer health and wellbeing while the public, Zuleika added, are now noticing less ‘bobbies on the beat.’

“We don’t have enough officers and that’s not unique to South Yorkshire,” she said.

“Officers strive to see jobs through and the desire to help out their colleagues is still there but with fewer of them it places even more strain on everybody.

“As a Federation we are very concerned about officer health and wellbeing, officers are under extreme and constant pressure – the minute they get unwell officers are reluctant to take time off because they know it will impact on colleagues and their welfare too.”

Members of the public in the region need to be aware of the issues facing the force and despite all that they endure, officers try their best to deliver the best service they can .

“We need to think about how we communicate this because there are lots of different facets to it – but you ask members of the public about the physical appearance of police on the street and they will say they are fading from sight.

“That’s frustrating for all of us.”

Asking communities to pay more through Council Tax precepts could be one solution, although the public must see the tangible benefits the extra cash would bring to community policing.

“It’s key that they can see how any extra money is being spent,” Zuleika added.

“I heard what Sajid Javid had to say at our national PFEW conference and I felt very positive, but we need action, it speaks louder than word.

“Officers are working under extreme stress and strain – how can they protect and serve to the best of their abilities when they are having to work like this?”