A top police officer savages the government’s spending cuts

Chief Constable Sara Thornton, current head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, has launched a stinging attack on Tory austerity. Her words come in the wake of the 15 September explosion at Parsons Green Tube station and send a clear message. Years of cuts have resulted in an “unsustainable strain on policing.”
Anti-terrorism
So far, 2017 has seen five terror attacks on UK soil. The Parsons Green incident was preceded by the attack on Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park on 19 June, the Borough Market van attack on 3 June, the Manchester Arena bombing of 22 May and the mowing down of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on 22 March.
As a result, police have been diverting resources towards counter-terrorism units and away from regular duties. Writing on the NPCC website, Chief Constable Thornton stated:
Every time there’s a terror attack, we mobilise specialist officers and staff to respond but the majority of the officers and staff responding come from mainstream policing. This puts extra strain on an already stretched service.
The effects of austerity
Thornton went on to state that officer numbers have been reduced to 1985 levels, while crime has risen 10 percent in the last year. The comments come at the tail end of seven years of Conservative austerity measures.
The David Cameron-led coalition began the process in 2010, with an immediate 20% reduction in police funding. The Home Secretary during that government was, of course, none other than Theresa May. Police cuts continued throughout its five-year administration.
Since the election of 2015, the Conservative government has continued to slash police funding, with no sign of letting up. This is despite increased terror levels and the threat to civilian safety. Chief Constable Thornton confirmed:
Read on...
Support us and go ad-freeThis budget for policing is set to be cut by 7.2 percent in the next three years. When the volume and nature of threat is growing alarmingly, that is a real concern.
A party of law and order?
The Conservatives used to try to advertise themselves as ‘the party of law and order’. Yet clearly, since ideological austerity became their priority, they can no longer make such a claim. They are now the party of profit before people, and nothing more.
Get Involved!
– Join us, so we can continue to bring you the news that matters.
– Read more Canary articles about Police cuts here.
Featured image via YouTube/YouTube
Support us and go ad-freeWe know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support
The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.
The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.
So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.