CUTS to police resources drove an increase in serious crime, the Home Office has finally conceded, confirming what officers knew along says South Yorkshire Police Federation.<\/p>\n
After a lengthy process involving The Information Commissioner documents have been made public showing the Government\u2019s own experts concluded that\u00a0in late 2017 to early 2018, Whitehall cuts to police resources had contributed to the surge in serious violence.<\/p>\n
That Cuts Had Consequences.<\/p>\n
Publicly the Government over many years \u2013 including Prime Minister Theresa May, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and successive Policing Ministers denied the link.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what police officers up and down the country have been saying all the time,\u201d South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere now needs to be persistent work to reverse this. To acknowledge mistakes is part of a learning and growing exercise, so that\u2019s been done.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to then get back to far more proper investment into policing, not just the numbers of cops getting through the door, although that is obviously very welcome, but we need to have that investment in infrastructure in policing, technology in policing, and get us back to where we were and then beyond that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re the best police force in the world. I say it every time, but it\u2019s true, we are. I think a lot of people probably admit that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to just invest in it.\u201d<\/p>\n