Home Secretary Warned Of ‘Unbelievable Pressure’ In Policing

South Yorkshire Police Federation has warned the new Home Secretary that officers are facing “unbelievable pressures” in the job.

Shabana Mahmood replaced Yvette Cooper in the role at the start of September, under a shake-up of Government by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Federation Chair Steve Kent said Cooper “went into battle” for policing and called on Mahmood to continue her work.

He said: “That needs to continue and it needs to move on, because policing is continually showing the stress of what it is facing.

“Officers are under unbelievable pressures, so we need to see an absolute sea change.

“The new Home Secretary has to come in and try and start to address the balance, and repair the damage that has been done from 15 years of cuts and savings.

Steve warned Mahmood that currently the public is not getting the service it expects, claiming in South Yorkshire at least more 400 officers were needed.

He added: “What the public are getting is 100% commitment, hard work and a police force that is doing the absolute best it can with the resources it’s got.

“But it’s not going to get any better until we get some sustained growth in policing.”