West Yorkshire Police chief warning over future budget cuts

Yorkshire’s most senior police chief has warned further Government cuts will lead to officers being unable to contain the sort of widespread disorder that engulfed the country a year ago this week.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Aug 2012, 15:00 BST

The Home Office is demanding police forces axe 20 per cent from their budgets by 2015, with more predicted to come.

Yesterday, (August 7) on the anniversary of the 2011 riots, Sir Norman Bettison, the chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, said he had serious concerns that further cuts could result in the police not being able to contain similar violence in the future.

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West Yorkshire Police is currently slashing £67m from its budget with 1,800 staff – half of whom are officers – set to go by 2015.

“There is bound to be a tipping point somewhere and the fact we haven’t reached it yet doesn’t mean there is more fat to cut,” Sir Norman said.

“The thing I worry about is it is exactly a year to the day since London was going up in flames and we had people at various parts in Leeds and Huddersfield who were wanting to take the police on, but we used our resources quickly and efficiently and sent them packing. At the moment we have cover available but further cuts put it in jeopardy.”