Doing More With Less

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Never forget that we have to do more with less, it is the en vogue diktat.

Speak to any Police Officer, Doctor, Nurse etc and they will tell you how they are doing more.

How do we know that they are doing it with less though?  Because the government tells us?

Not exactly.

The latest Police Strength statistics were released recently, showing that in the 12 months to end of September 2105 the Police Service strength had been reduced by a further 1,893 officers or 1.5%. almost all of that number in the second 6 month period, March to September.

A few lucky Forces managed to bucjk the trend and actually recrtuited a positive number in the second 6 months of the year;

  • Cheshire – 21 Officers
  • Lancashire – 24 officers
  • Northamptonshire – 9 officers
  • Warwickshire – 27 officers
  • West Mercia – 72 officers
  • Bedfordshire – 14 officers
  • South Wales – 45 officers

Everybody else lost officers.

The 43 Forces have also lost a total of 1,062 or 1.7% of their Police Staff in that year, 960 or 7.5% of their PCSOs and 722 or 4.3% of the last bastion, the Special Constabulary.  ALL DOWN.

The ‘good news’ does not end there though.

I submitted FOI requests to the 43 Forces to enbquire how many Police Stations have been closed between 2010 and 2015, and how many more were earmarked for closure in the next 5 years.

I have received meaningful replies from 39 of the 43 Forces.

Dorset, Durham and West Midlands don’t seem to want to reply and the idiotic Northamptosnhore Force refused, despite the fact that the information was available in the local paper.

In England and Wales, between 2010 and 2015 at least 605 Police Stations have been closed, or at the very least, closed to the public.

A further, minimum, of 125 have been earmarked for closure by 2020.

So, there you are boys and girls, that is how we are doing more with less, much less, and it keeps on going.

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7 thoughts on “Doing More With Less”

  1. We are having all our shifts on neighbourhood policing changed into back shifts to ‘manage demand’ and the majority of our days off fall during the week. Many weekend rest days will be cancelled for football so I will never see my family. We have been told by a chief officer that the public and the organisation come before us and our families. Sorry but I ain’t missing out on my kids growing up so when they become young adults they resent me. As soon as I can, I am getting out. Fed up of the constant negative propaganda and the public not supporting us. My family must come first. Good luck Mrs May recruiting graduates on.£19,000 with these spiteful Victorian working conditions.

    1. Saying that the organisation comes before family and kids is the kind of attitude that existed about 40 years ago. I well remember my partner at the time asking for Compassionate Leave to look after his kids as his wife had to go into hospital. The Chief Superintendent told him to put his kids into Care. I won’t repeat my mate’s reply, I’m sure you can guess.

      I’m sorry to hear that things haven’t really changed. Those are the attitudes that really damage relationships. My ‘generation’ has seen far too much of that.

      1. The last 10-15 years they bent over backwards to accommodate flexible working to attract more recruits, mainly women.

        Now they pull the rug without notice, citing “we are a 24/7 365 emergency service” and if you don’t like it leave. This is effecting a large proportion of my force and I am sure most others too.

        Disgraceful, but is what they’re doing illegal ?

        1. No I wouldn’t imagine its illegal for servants of the crown but its not in the public’s best interests to have demoralised and stressed out officers who are unable to have any kind of family life. And, if in future, once graduates in £27,000 debt wanting to start a job on £19,000 minus the 14% pension and student loan deductions find out they won’t be allowed any kind of family life on top of all the government propaganda and proposed bank holiday payment cuts then they will decide to go work in McDonald’s instead. No one will volunteer to do anything such as PSU etc that means that the previous time with their families is put in jeopardy to police football matches for example. Ultimately the public deserve a professional police service not a burnt out demoralised group of people desperate to leave!

          1. Thank you Rufus, you’ve brought up another issue entirely. Who in their right minds would think that is a good idea to have Probationary Constables, or whatever they would be called, with a 27 grand debt? What could possibly go wrong there?

  2. Alan, l guess by the lack of response to your last couple of posts, that most of the fight has gone out of those of us that are left. Including me. ( luckily l go next year)

    You have to congratulate the government for doing a cracking job. A lesson in Propoganda for all. Then when the Tough questions are asked. They just ignore it. Silence……

    Apart from the few who are taking the pension action everyone else is either retiring, leaving or staying on under duress wishing they could leave. How can that be good for the police and the public.

    An ACPO face was on telly taking about degree entrants. No flannel, he basically said students would pay for their own training just like other professions. There lies the truth, more money saved.

    All l can say is good luck retaining them because once they see what the job brings for what l believe is a low wage, (given what’s expected of officers) they will be off quick time. They won’t be hanging around until they get to the top of the pay scale or for the 35 years until full pension. Probably because the pension will be changed again before they retire.

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