News Shorts w/ Danzig (British Police Force Cuts)

[The Mainerishi]

As many as 40,000 front-line police jobs will be at risk in England and Wales if expected budget cuts of 25% go ahead, the Police Federation has said.

The Police Federation is warning that cuts on this scale could lead to an increase in crime.

Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert has called on them to avoid scaremongering.

But the union said such a staffing reduction would make policing as it is now "unsustainable".

The cut to the police budget in England and Wales is generally expected to total 25% - in line with other government cutbacks - but the exact level will not be known until the current spending review is published in October.

Two weeks ago the Scottish Police Federation predicted that budget cuts north of the border would lead to a loss of 2,800 posts.

Mr Herbert told the BBC that the Police Federation was simply speculating at this stage.

"We do have to be careful not to make assumptions and then to follow on from that with suggestions that may unnecessarily alarm the public," he said.

"Very large sums of money are still going to be made available to policing.

"Of course there will have to be savings, we have been quite clear about that."

He added that while police forces will have to find their share of savings, the government believed they could be found, "particularly in regard to police forces working more efficiently, savings in the back room, and forces collaborating on procuring equipment".

FULL ARTICLE AT: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11261739

Now I can understand that savings do in fact need to be made because we're in a huge amount of debt right now but for the life of me I can't seem to understand why anyone would want to cut police numbers.

You have crime going up because people are out of work and need to make ends meet somehow. So you cut the police force which means businesses and the like are going to get robbed. It's a vicious circle.

[Taylor]

It's because stupid Conservatives are stupid.

[Kim Jong CP]

Sept 12, 2010 8:24:25 GMT -5 Taylor said:

It's because stupid Conservatives are stupid.

Yes, because making an effort to avoid your country entering bankruptcy is a bad thing. Britain, much like the US, has forgotten that fiscal responsibility is paramount to a functioning society.

Besides, if you actually read the full article it makes sense. Streamlining things and getting rid of redundant jobs are necessary everywhere as we prepare for the double dip.

Essentially you will still have 100 000 police offers and no matter what happens, there will always be crime. Your crime level is below what it historically has been, and a regression to the mean is to be expected, regardless of budget cuts.

[Taylor]

Budget cuts are without a doubt needed, however the cuts Conversatives have been making is only going to undo the GOOD work that Labour. Conversatives could make cuts in different ways that would help improve our financial life AND have a less of an impact of current life and FUTURE.

Under Labour our Education, Health and Policing were all improved a lot. Well, our Education has already taken a hell of a knock with many promised facilities to current and even new schools altogether being scrapped. With the current climate cutting the Police force by this size no matter the roles the officers play WILL have a knock on effect. I dare say within the near future the Conversatives will break their promise and begin cuts to the NHS. Thankfully that will be the day the coalition will collapse and this god awful Government will be out of power before it can do anymore damage.

[Kim Jong CP]

Sept 12, 2010 15:25:51 GMT -5 Taylor said:

Budget cuts are without a doubt needed, however the cuts Conversatives have been making is only going to undo the GOOD work that Labour. Conversatives could make cuts in different ways that would help improve our financial life AND have a less of an impact of current life and FUTURE.

Under Labour our Education, Health and Policing were all improved a lot. Well, our Education has already taken a hell of a knock with many promised facilities to current and even new schools altogether being scrapped. With the current climate cutting the Police force by this size no matter the roles the officers play WILL have a knock on effect. I dare say within the near future the Conversatives will break their promise and begin cuts to the NHS. Thankfully that will be the day the coalition will collapse and this god awful Government will be out of power before it can do anymore damage.

This is absolutely ludicrous Taylor. The Torie's are cleaning up the mess made by your beloved Labour party. They were responsible for Britain being hit by the recession and lost there rule over Britain as a result.

As for the NHS, there's an easy 50 billion to be saved, which, if applied directly would reduce your net borrowing by 33%. That, along with the other cuts could save Briton's over 100 billion per fiscal year, when calculating applied interest per annum to the figures. At that rate, the debt would be paid down in ten years to zero which would be astounding.

But now, the NHS is the crown jewel of Britain ... except it's widely regarded as inferior to the Canadian system and costs much less. In Canada, the government doesn't pay for dentistry, prescription drugs and a whole host of other things ... and yet we, as consumers, often pay less for them then you do, due to something called health insurance. Allowing the Private Sector to get involved and selling liscences raises money, as well as cuts the costs covered would be huge.

To be honest, if you compared the two countries, both in many senses social democracies, Canada is so far ahead and runs for so much less per capita ... it'd be easy to see where you could slash your debt and keep key services. It's been consistent though for hundreds of years, all the way back to the Crusades or the Protestant Reformation, for the problems to not be with the British government and people, but others surrounding them.

[El Shadowo]

Sept 12, 2010 15:25:51 GMT -5 Taylor said:

Budget cuts are without a doubt needed, however the cuts Conversatives have been making is only going to undo the GOOD work that Labour. Conversatives could make cuts in different ways that would help improve our financial life AND have a less of an impact of current life and FUTURE.

Under Labour our Education, Health and Policing were all improved a lot. Well, our Education has already taken a hell of a knock with many promised facilities to current and even new schools altogether being scrapped. With the current climate cutting the Police force by this size no matter the roles the officers play WILL have a knock on effect. I dare say within the near future the Conversatives will break their promise and begin cuts to the NHS. Thankfully that will be the day the coalition will collapse and this god awful Government will be out of power before it can do anymore damage.

See, I hate to break this to you but the Government have to cut money from somewhere, and although public servants don't want to hear this, when you work for the government, its a risk you take. When the government needs to save major money, the jobs they can get rid of is always going to be the first thing they can.

Out of interest, since you say cuts can be made elsewhere, where do you suggest they save the money?

[Dan White]

Labour are good. Tories are crap and wank and are taking this country to the dogs.

[TJ]

Labours? Tories?.......

GO PHILLIES!

[The Mainerishi]

Sept 14, 2010 17:08:38 GMT -5 Dan White said:

Labour are good. Tories are crap and wank and are taking this country to the dogs.

And by "the dogs" he means the Corgie's that most Conservative politicians own for the purpose of fox hunting.

[Dan White]

I used to be in favour of fox hunting until Kate Bush's Hounds of Love showed me the way.

I'll still shoot lame chickens though >_>