Underfunded and Overwhelmed: South Yorkshire Police Left Struggling After Spending Review
South Yorkshire Police officers have been left “treading water” in the wake of a disappointing Spending Review, Steve Kent, Federation Chairman has said.
The review, published this month, “doesn’t in any way give us over and above what we need or anything to push forward with policing,” Steve said.
South Yorkshire remains one of the poorest funded forces in the country yet carries some of the highest demand. Officer numbers remain below what they were in 2010 and there is no prospect of significant investment to reverse that trend, he said.
“Our officer numbers are still low and we need significant funding to reverse this. It is clear that isn’t going to happen in the near future, and the Federation are worried that the cost will be under resourcing and therefore burnout.”
Steve endorsed the Right Care, Right Person programme, which is designed to alleviate pressure on officers, but highlighted concerns about colleges being expected to act as medical professionals. He urged honesty with the public, adding “we’re not going to be able to do enough, because we can’t keep operating at the red line like we are.”
Tiff Lynch, Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has expressed similar frustration in response to the Government’s budget analysis.
She said the review should have marked a turning point after 15 years of austerity but instead ensures cuts will continue, leaving the public to pay the price.
“Police officers are facing blades and bricks, managing mental health crises while battling to protect their own, and carrying the weight of trauma and financial stress home with them every day. Police pay has fallen by over 20 per cent in real terms since 2010.
“The number of crimes allocated to each officer has jumped by a third in a decade. We will lose 10,000 experienced officers a year to resignation by the end of this spending review period – driven out by poor pay and unacceptable working conditions. This Chancellor hasn’t listened to police officers,” she added.