POLICING needs police officers out there to talk to people and to enforce the law \u2013 and technology can only do so much, it has been warned<\/p>\n
The force is \u201cdoing the best that we can with the resources we\u2019re given\u201d, said Neil Bowles, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation.<\/p>\n
The force has lost 600 police officers since 2007.<\/p>\n
It has been branded one of the nine most inefficient police forces in the country by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe HMRC keeps referring to knowing what your demand is and using IT better,\u201d said Mr Bowles. \u201cThat and having an overview of how the cuts will affect the service. This is what we\u2019ve been telling Government for ages now, at least five years, the fact that there needs to be a national overview before we can come to a local decision. What\u2019s the point of doing things 43\u00a0different ways?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Bowles said that while the HMIC said the force would lose another 10% of officers over the next four years, it would be much more than that. \u201cWe\u2019re already thinking of losing 300 to 400 officers, which is more like 20%,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In its inspection into police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy, the watchdog has told the force it \u201crequires improvement\u201d to meet the challenges of policing in austerity. It stated that it \u201chas concerns that the force’s future plans and financial position may not be able to sustain effective policing in the long term\u201d.<\/p>\n
Nationally, HMIC said that maintaining neighbourhood policing is likely to be a “challenge\u201d and that police officers will become “less visible” on Britain’s streets.<\/p>\n
Mr Bowles concluded: \u201cPolicing isn\u2019t a technology business, it\u2019s a people business.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need people out there to talk to people and to enforce the law. We\u2019re already seeing crime has risen for the last nearly a year now in South Yorkshire overall; violent, sexual and dishonesty offences are up.\u201d<\/p>\n