Cuts In New Community Police Officers In Bolton Criticised By Deborah Dunleavy

Police levy on council tax has soared – but not enough police on the beat 

Deborah Dunleavy Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Bolton North East, today expressed concern at Government’s decision to abandon a manifesto pledge to recruit 24,000 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) by March 2008. This means that in the Greater Manchester area, where the police had been planning for 1238 PCSOs by March 2008, there will now only be 828. The cuts in funding mean that the Government has broken its manifesto pledge at the last election to “take CSO numbers up to 24,000”.  

This comes as the police levy on council tax across Bolton has soared by 106% since 1997, with further hikes expected this April. The Government has also recently shelved the planned nationwide roll-out of the ‘non-emergency’ version of 999, which would have allowed people to report low-level crimes, vandalism and anti-social behaviour to police and local councils via one simple telephone number. 

Miss Dunleavy commented:

“People want to see a uniformed presence on their streets to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour and to provide reassurance to their community. This broken promise will mean fewer Police Community Support Officers in Bolton than originally planned, which is a serious loss. 

“There is already a feeling that Bolton doesn’t receive enough local policing.  People will ask why they are paying ever higher council tax bills – including a soaring police levy on council tax - when they don’t get the services in return.” 

Notes to Editors 

CUTS TO COMMUNITY SUPPORT OFFICERS 

The Government’s Respect Action Plan, launched in January 2006, promised 24,000 Police Community Support Officers by 2008, calling them “absolutely vital to the modern police force”.  The Plan said: “numbers on this scale will revolutionise policing in our communities” (p.26).

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/respect-action-plan 

On 27 November 2006, the Government abandoned the pledge, which was also given in its election manifesto, and cut resources at the same time. Ministers stated, “the Home Secretary and I accept the argument put forward by the police service itself that the delivery of neighbourhood policing does not necessarily need 24,000 PCSOs.” 
 

Hansard, 27 November 2006, col. 84WS.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm061127/wmstext/61127m0002.htm#0611272000323 

The Respect Action Plan also promised a new 101 national non-emergency number, describing it as a ‘key part’ of the Respect drive.  The national roll-out of the number has since been shelved. 

Source: Based on data from Hansard, 14 December 2006, col. 1312W.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm061214/text/61214w0016.htm#column_1311W 

SOARING POLICE LEVY ON COUNCIL TAX BILLS 

Police authorities levy a ‘precept’ on council tax bills. The table below shows the change in the levy since 1997. 

ENDS