Cuts will hit frontline policing

Government cuts to the police force could impact on the number of Bobbies on our streets.

Seeing an officer pounding the pavement is reassuring to us all, but under the Government’s planned cuts the police are due to lose a fifth of their central funding over four years. The Government says that should be manageable with increased productivity and savings in the offices.

However, the chief inspector of constabulary Sir Dennis O’Connor has said some police forces were facing a big challenge in making cuts required of them without losing front-line staff, which includes Bobbies on the beat.

Sir Dennis said: "It looks difficult for the front line to remain in its current form in a number of forces."

And Steve Finnigan, from the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "It's going to be impossible to protect the front line. We'll do all that we can to minimise the impact on the front line, but when 85 per cent of your budget is made up of people, that's just not going to be possible."

At present, if a member of the public wants to speak to someone at Keynsham Police Station they have to make an appointment. The nearest walk-in station is in Brislington, two-and-a-half miles away.

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