PSAEW: Chief Superintendent Derek Barnett speaking on the Radio 4 Today Programme and on Radio 5 Live

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 12:00 AM

Speaking on the Radio 4 Today Programme and on Radio 5 Live this morning (Tuesday) and in advance of a speech he will give tomorrow (Wed) in the presence of the Home Secretary, the President of the Police Superintendents' Association of England & Wales, Chief Superintendent Derek Barnett.

Chief Superintendent Derek Barnett stated whilst the Police Service does not expect to be immune for the cuts that will be come into effect across the public sector, he has a responsibility to point out that the cuts that are being planned must not be allowed to reduce the services ability to respond to civil unrest or disorder that may happen in the future.

He said that in pointing this out he is not scaremongering but wishes to ensure that those who will be setting out the future levels of funding are fully aware of the impact that their decisions will have on the police's capacity to protect the public from harm and maintain order.

The speech will be given by Derek Barnett at the annual conference of the PSAEW which is being held in Cheshire this week - and the Home Secretary will be responding to the speech at the Conference.

Derek said: 'I'm not predicting that there will be a rise in crime and I'm not suggesting that the Police Service can't find efficiency savings. 'My message to the Home Secretary this week is a very positive one: that we understand the difficulties faced by the Government and we want to work with Government to deliver the best possible policing at the best possible value for money.

'However, if you do cut Police funding too severely there will be some consequences. 'Sir Denis O'Connor, Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, produced a report that said that the Police Service certainly can find efficiency savings. 'It talked about a sum of £1bn and possibly up to 12% of Police budgets and intuitively I wouldn't disagree with that.

But I think the suggestion that there are Police Officers sitting around in Police Stations waiting for the phone to ring, drinking tea and knee-deep in paperwork is rather fanciful.
'One of the things I will be saying to the Home Secretary is this: Of course we can be better at what we can do, of course we can find savings in bureaucracy. 'But what it can't do is deliver some of the savings of the magnitude that have been spoken about so far.'

Draft check against delivery copies of the speech have been circulated to the media and any queries or interview request should be directed though Sarah Gibbons. She can be contacted on 07989 855961.

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