South Yorkshire Police officers have been left \u201ctreading water\u201d in the wake of a disappointing Spending Review, Steve Kent, Federation Chairman has said.<\/p>\n
The review, published this month, \u201cdoesn\u2019t in any way give us over and above what we need or\u00a0 anything to push forward with policing,\u201d Steve said.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire remains one of the poorest funded forces in the country yet carries some of the highest demand. Officer numbers remain below what they were in 2010 and there is no prospect of significant investment to reverse that trend, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur officer numbers are still low and we need significant funding to reverse this. It is clear that isn\u2019t going to happen in the near future, and the Federation are worried that the cost will be under resourcing and therefore burnout.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve endorsed the Right Care, Right Person programme, which is designed to alleviate pressure on officers, but highlighted concerns about colleges being expected to act as medical professionals. He urged honesty with the public, adding \u201cwe\u2019re not going to be able to do enough, because we can\u2019t keep operating at the red line like we are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tiff Lynch, Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has expressed similar frustration in response to the Government\u2019s budget analysis.<\/p>\n
She said the review should have marked a turning point after 15 years of austerity but instead ensures cuts will continue, leaving the public\u00a0 to pay the price.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice officers are facing blades and bricks, managing mental health crises while battling to protect their own, and carrying the weight of trauma and financial stress home with them every day. Police pay has fallen by over 20 per cent in real terms since 2010.<\/p>\n
“The number of crimes allocated to each officer has jumped by a third in a decade. We will lose 10,000 experienced officers a year to resignation by the end of this spending review period – driven out by poor pay and unacceptable working conditions. This Chancellor hasn’t listened to police officers,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n