Diane Abbott response to the latest Home Office data on police numbers and crime in England and Wales

Thursday, 20 July 2017 11:38

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, speaking in response to both the latest Home Office data on police numbers and crime in England and Wales, said: “This a damning indictment of the Tory record. “The Tories have cut police officer numbers again in the latest 12 months and now there are well over 20,000 fewer than in 2010. And despite promising to protect budgets, they continue to cut funding even as a senior...Request free trial

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, speaking in response to both the latest Home Office data on police numbers and crime in England and Wales, said:

“This a damning indictment of the Tory record.

“The Tories have cut police officer numbers again in the latest 12 months and now there are well over 20,000 fewer than in 2010. And despite promising to protect budgets, they continue to cut funding even as a senior figures in policing line up to warn they are overstretched and struggle to cope with demand.

“Now police have recorded their highest number of crimes in a decade, including over a million violent offences, and yet today’s figure also reveal a shocking fall in the rate of charges and summonses.

“The Tories simply aren't allowing the police to protect the public. Labour in government will tackle rising crime. We pledge to bring back 10,000 officers. It’s what the police need and the public deserve.”

Ends

Notes to editors

· In 2013 the rate of charges or summonses for all crime was 17.2%. Now it is 11.2% (Home Office, Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables, 20 July 2017, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables)

· The police recorded number of violent crimes has almost doubled from 635,000 on 2009/10 to over 1.2 million now (ONS, Crime in England and Wales: year ending Mar 2017, 20 July 2017, https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingmar2017)

· In 2010, Theresa May claimed “we know that it is possible for the police to make significant reductions in their budgets without affecting frontline policing” (Marr Show, October 31st 2010 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/andrew_marr_show/9143109.stm)

· But today’s statistics reveal that of the 20,592 officers lost since 2010, 17,815 officers have been lost from the frontline (Home Office, Police Workforce data tables, Table F, 20 July 2017, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2017)