News / Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Avon police bosses warn more cuts will have ‘extremely serious consequences’
Avon and Somerset police bosses say the force faces a tipping point as they warn further cuts would have “extremely serious consequences”.
Chief constable Andy Marsh and police and crime commissioner (PCC) Sue Mountstevens argue that the growing demands being put on officers are simply not sustainable, as the effects of ever-increasing pressures and capped pay take their toll.
Avon and Somerset has been hit with £65m of cuts and the loss of 655 police officers since 2010, yet is faced with slashing a further £17m from its budget by 2021/22 to balance the books.
is needed now More than ever
In a letter and report sent to police and fire minister Nick Hurd last week, the pair stated there are serious choices to be made and outlined some of the challenges faced by the force.
Speaking in the wake of recent serious incidents, Marsh said: “The challenging and tragic incidents of the last two weeks – including two fatal collisions on the M5 and the rise in the national terror threat to critical – are a tangible demonstration of the stretch we are facing.
“Our staff have risen to the challenge to keep people safe, reassured and comforted with humanity, empathy and professionalism in very difficult circumstances. But our continuing ability to safeguard communities, protect the vulnerable, and manage major incidents of this kind is being severely tested. It’s simply not sustainable.
“The human impact is very concerning. The prevalence of police officer and staff absence linked to mental health is increasing, annual pay awards have been capped for many years and the cumulative effect of this and restrained pay is having an impact on recruitment in forces up and down the country.
“We’ve reached a tipping point. There are serious choices to be made and we don’t believe we can or should make those alone. We believe the time has come for others to share the risk, and budget decisions and future choices about funding should be made in the full knowledge of what they are.”
Marsh talking about measures being put in place when the UK terrorist threat rose to ‘critical’ in the wake of the Manchester bombing in May:
The top bosses claim Avon and Somerset constabulary has successfully transformed, innovated and streamlined to manage the cuts demanded, while officers and staff have proved their professionalism, while working under increasingly difficult circumstances.
Bristol24/7 recently ran a report into the amount of police time dedicated to investigating reports of missing people in the region – an issue that is often linked to mental health – and takes up an increasing amount of police time.
Inspector James Wasiak spoke to Bristol24/7 about the number of missing persons cases police deal with on a daily basis
Last year, the force dedicated 50,000 hours to missing people and mental health alone. They are also facing increasing and complex demands – from tackling slavery and exploitation, to organised crime and the rise in extremism – yet, all the while, funding is being slashed.
Mountstevens said: “We have reached the point where enough is enough and policing in Avon and Somerset cannot be stretched any further.
“We need investment in policing, funding to strengthen our neighbourhood policing teams in order to focus on prevention, tackling terrorism before it happens.
“When the Government say there is ‘extra policing on the ground’, this does not mean we are magically given additional officers to increase our numbers. What this means is we are forced to ask officers, PCSOs, staff and volunteers, who are already working hard, to do even more; extending their shifts, adding to their tasks and increasing their workload.
“I’m supportive of the recent announcement of a rise in public sector pay; however without the Government providing any additional finance, this causes even more significant strain to our stretched budget. We estimate this will cost approximately £1.1m and without better real-terms funding protection from the Government, this is more money we have to find.
“The chief constable and I are already making some difficult choices locally based on our reducing budgets, lack of funding and investment and diminishing resources. It’s important that the Government know what we face locally and understand the consequences of our current situation and the implications on the service we are able to deliver as a result.”
Read more: Bristol’s missing people
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