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More than 300 new officers for Avon & Somerset as cuts reversed
Hundreds more police officers will be recruited in Avon and Somerset as the woman in charge of policing looks to reverse eight years of cuts.
Up to 300 more officers are set to join the the force’s ranks this year. It comes as latest figures show Avon and Somerset Police lost another 70 officers from its roster during the past year.
The drop means that compared to 2010, there are 655 fewer officers on the streets, leaving around 2,600 in total.
is needed now More than ever
The staffing cuts have allowed the force to make nearly £80m in savings in ten years, therefore keeping pace with stringent Government budget cuts.
Police and crime commissioner Sue Mountstevens and chief constable Andy Marsh have both raised concerns about the consequences of cuts
But early this year, police and crime commissioner Sue Mountstevens said the cuts had gone so far that “there is no muscle, there is no fat, we’re now into the bone. It’s really, really difficult”.
On Tuesday, Mountstevens said: “Thanks to local people, Avon and Somerset has been able to re-start an ambitious recruitment programme for police officers. Following a £1 monthly rise [per household] in the policing part of the council tax in April, the constabulary is now recruiting up to 300 police officers this year.”
The reduction in police officers across England and Wales to the lowest level since 1996 has led the Police Federation to warn “policing in the UK is on the critical list”.
Latest figures show an 11 per cent rise in recorded crime across England and Wales, and a 19 per cent increase in violent crimes.
The force has lost 655 officers since 2010
But in Avon and Somerset, recorded crime is up by one per cent and violent crime is up by four per cent.
Mountstevens is now asking voters if they would back an additional £1 rise next year “so we can sustain officer and PCSO numbers at this increased level going forward”. ‘
“It’s no surprise to residents there are fewer police officers on our streets,” she said. “We’ve made nearly £80m of savings in the past eight years and this means there are 655 fewer police officers.
“The challenge for me, as the area’s police and crime commissioner, is to sustain the recruitment of officers within the current funding we receive and sadly I need local people’s support to do this as there is not enough money from central government to protect policing.”
Ché Donald, of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “These new figures are proof, as if we even needed it, that policing in the UK is on the critical list.”
He said since 2010, police forces across the UK had lost more than 21,300 officers – a drop of 15 per cent.
The minister for policing and the fire service, Nick Hurd, said: “The number of people joining police forces is at a ten-year high and demonstrates that policing is still a desirable and sought-after career.
“Decisions regarding the number of officers and how they are deployed are a matter for police and crime commissioners and chief constables. They are best placed to understand how to meet the needs of local communities.
“However, I’ve spoken to every force about the changing demand they face and we are helping with a £460m increase in overall funding in 2018-19, including increased funding to tackle counter-terrorism and increased funding for local policing through council tax precept.”
Jack Pitts is a local democracy reporter for Bristol.
Read more: Avon police bosses warn more cuts will have ‘extremely serious consequences’
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