Saying that a rise in violent crime is not down to a cut in officer numbers is just \u2018spin\u2019.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the view of South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Zuleika Payne who says officers are just getting platitudes rather than the resources they need to do the job.<\/p>\n
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Nationally, violent crime is up by 20%, while knife crime has risen by 21% over the past year.<\/p>\n
Remaining unconvinced, Zuleika \u00a0is infuriated by the Government\u2019s continued stance that falling officer numbers are not to blame.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of spin put out around crime levels and the drop in officer numbers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a real sense of them using the figures however they want to.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should consider what violent crime levels were looking like when the cut in officer numbers really started to bite, you could actually anticipate them being much higher.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn essence these is a suggestion that with fewer officers you would expect even higher levels so these rising figures are nothing to do with falling officer numbers and even more worrying is the notion that we don\u2019t need more officers on the streets when we clearly do.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the big concern overall \u2013 they just don\u2019t make any link to crime and officer numbers, it\u2019s an excuse not to make any significant investments in policing. The officers I represent are working tirelessly, day and day out, to keep out communities safe. However, we need to see long term, sustainable policing solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zuleika says she and her members are still frustrated by the lack of increase in officer numbers in South Yorkshire.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have around 2,400 officers and as a force we have so many issues to contend with,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are hypervigilant and risk averse as a force and we\u2019re out there trying to do a really thorough job, but there is so much pressure on everyone, it\u2019s incredibly frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\n