THE public can see the effect cuts and austerity are having on police forces, South Yorkshire Police Federation believes.<\/p>\n
A recent YouGov report has revealed that crime is now the public\u2019s primary concern, overtaking health and the state of the NHS for the first time.<\/p>\n
It is evidence that the public recognises the pressure the service is under, says South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent.<\/p>\n
And he is pleased that communities are speaking out about the issue.<\/p>\n
Steve said: \u201cI think the public is becoming more vocal in challenging the status quo and I think they\u2019re starting to get a little bit fed up that police resources are stretched.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s having a knock-on effect in that it\u2019s taking longer for them to get through to the police and it\u2019s taking longer for the police to turn out.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a Federation, we need to keep that awareness there because we can now see that the public is getting fed up of the effects of the cuts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve hopes this increased awareness might lead to more Government action on funding policing properly \u2013 nearly a decade of cuts has led to a reduction of 21,000 officers in England and Wales.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraditionally, the NHS has always had public sympathy and public support for it to be properly funded,\u201d Steve said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not always been the case with policing, but the effects of austerity on the police and the cuts are affecting their [the public\u2019s] normal lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s high profile knife crime all over the media and it\u2019s starting to hit home to people that we\u2019re not the same service, with the same capabilities that we used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n