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Press Release
Posted on 01/09/2011
North Yorkshire Police Federation, which represents the county’s rank and file officers, has expressed deep concern over the impact of Government cuts to the police service, after a weekend which saw two officers hospitalised with serious injuries in separate incidents in York, and several others suffering more minor injuries.
Sergeant Mike Stubbs said that one officer had suffered a broken arm in an incident in York on Friday night whilst another suffered a fractured jaw in a separate incident in York on Saturday night. Sgt Stubbs said ‘We cannot give fuller details of these incidents as doing so may jeopardise any future prosecutions but the injuries these officers have suffered highlight the very real threats that police officers across the county face.'
Sergeant Stubbs said that the injuries came as the county’s officers provided support to the Metropolitan Police for the Notting Hill Carnival, in addition to having to cope with the demands of policing a busy Bank Holiday weekend in North Yorkshire. 'Since the beginning of August North Yorkshire police officers have been deployed to support Greater Manchester Police and West Midlands Police, in addition to having at least one public order unit on duty in London for the whole period.'
Police numbers in the county had already fallen drastically before the Government announced its cuts in October 2010. In 2007 the county’s strength stood at almost 1650 police officers* but that number had fallen to less than 1500 even before the latest cuts were announced. Sgt Stubbs said 'If the planned cuts go ahead, officer numbers will fall to around the 1300 mark .The last time we saw numbers that low was in 2001/2002 when around 50% of North Yorkshire officers were assaulted in the course of that year.'
Sergeant Stubbs said it was time for politicians at all levels to rethink the proposed cuts and their impact, and called Government claims that cuts to the back office will not affect front line policing misleading. 'As a result of cuts to the ‘back office' in some parts of this county, officers are already having to spend more time preparing files because the police staff that were doing that job have gone. Last week police officers were taken off the streets in York to do duties in the custody area because of a shortage of Detention Officers. That is already the reality of what cuts mean in North Yorkshire.'
*between the ranks of Constable, Sergeant, Inspector and Chief Inspector
Ends
Sgt Stubbs is available for further comment on 07974 139611/01423 866342
