But what about us? ask UNISON police staff

It was all very well new prime minister Boris Johnson announcing plans to recruit 20,000 police officers when he took office in July, but what about police staff? That was the question put by UNISON’s police and justice conference in Southport on Friday afternoon. “Police staff are the life blood of the police service, without which forces would fall over,” conference declared. They not only underpin the services provided to officers and communities, they are critical to ensuring that police forces across the country provide vital security and safety to all their communities. Austerity and cuts mean “our members have suffered, our communities have suffered, our service has suffered,” said Karen Poole of Lincolnshire police. There are now 42,500 fewer police and community support officers (PCSOs), other police staff and police officers in England and Wales than there were in 2010. PCSO numbers have been cut by 44% since austerity started at the beginning of the decade, and overall police staff by 17%. Enid Gardner – speaking for the England and Wales police staff committee –  pointed out that “it takes four police staff to put six officers on the beat”. And, she added: “20,000 new police officers will not themselves mend the damage. It’s like recruiting 20,000 hospital doctors without the other health staff to support them: physiotherapists, nurses, porters etc.” “The prime minister just seems to have thrown this idea out into the public domain with ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article 2019 Police and Justice Conference police staff Source Type: news