A WESTMINSTER summit has taken place between South Yorkshire Police Federation officers and six MPs in the region to outline concerns about the cuts to policing in England and Wales.<\/p>\n
Seven representatives from the Federation spent an hour with their local MPs \u2013 all from the Labour Party \u2013 at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 11 September. \u201cWe wanted to air our views about the way the police service will look in the future,\u201d said Jim Lucas, federation secretary.<\/p>\n
Pictured in London at the meeting are (from left to right) PC Lisa Kramer, Insp Tim Mitchel, PC Zuleika Payne, Sgt Dean Hague, Mr Lucas, Sgt David Baines and Insp Richard Batty.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pointed out that the cuts are going to be detrimental to the public,\u201d added Mr Lucas.\u00a0\u201cWe are going to see a reduced service. At the moment we can agree we are all at the bottom of these cuts. The full impact has not been realised yet. It will be in 2014\/15\/16.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou also look at the morale in the service. You can now see the effects of Winsor are starting to bite more and more. People\u2019s wages are being altered and their pensions are changing. Officer morale is going down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no one there to take up this extra work \u2013 you have less resources and yet more pressure being put on remaining officers to do that work.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the meeting were John Healey, MP for Wentworth and Dearne, Meg Munn, MP for Sheffield Heeley, Clive Betts, MP for for Sheffield South East, Dan Jarvis MP for Barnsley central, Kevin Barron, MP for Rother Valley, and a representative of Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham.<\/p>\n
Mr Lucas added: \u201cFrom the meeting we are now going to provide them with evidence of where we can see these cuts will have an effect on front line policing \u2013 then hopefully we can have another meeting where we can enforce what is happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey need to know.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are going to gather the evidence by speaking to officers \u2013 finding out what the staffing levels have been on shifts at certain times, different times of the day. And get a snap shot. Look at the number of incidents we have got that are coming in. Look at the incidents that have not been addressed prior to the next shift coming on. That is a good gauge. We need to get first-hand what is happening and then present that to MPs.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were 129,584 police officers in the 43 police forces of England and Wales as at 31 March 2013 \u2013 down from 133,237. In South Yorkshire Police there are now 2,767 police officers.<\/p>\n
Mr Lucas concluded: \u201cThe senior command team in South Yorkshire Police are fully aware of the implications of Winsor \u2013 and the effect it has on officers and they have a bank account that is dwindling because of the cuts.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo they are having to provide a service with diminished funds. We understand that. We all understand that the public service is facing cuts. But when you look what we do \u2013 upholding the law \u2013 we\u2019ve got to ensure the public are safe. And the Government need to know that.\u201d<\/p>\n