Police cuts followed by rise in crime

11.27.25am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 14th Sep 2006

Cuts to the police force have seen a 6% rise in crime.

Cuts to policing due to budget cutbacks coincided with a rise in crime, according to figures released by Greater Manchester Police. Police numbers fell by 216 when their budget was slashed by £14.4 million in 2005/06. Police crime statistics show that there were over 20,000 more victims of crime between August 2005 and July 2006 than there were the previous year, a 6% rise. Now Hazel Grove MP, Andrew Stunell is demanding that the police manpower cuts be reversed.

Mr Stunell said

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out the link between cuts to the police force and the rise in crime. Week after week local residents are asking for more police and a quicker response.

"The police carry out tremendous work in our community but if additional cuts are made I fear there will be a real loss of confidence by the public.

"I am demanding that the government face up to the fact that cutbacks to the police will undermine public trust, and could put crime figures up again."