One in five SYP officers and 1,000 staff could be lost

If potential job losses at South Yorkshire Police become a reality, policing in the county would be a “totally different service”, the chair of the area’s Police Federation has warned.

A report leaked to the media said government budget cuts mean up to 1,500 jobs, which includes 500 officers – equivalent to one-in-five – and 1,000 members of police staff could be lost over the next five years.

South Yorkshire Police currently employs 2,500 officers and 1,650 staff members; the potential cuts could see officer numbers drop to as low as 2,000, 1,300 less than in 2007.

Speaking to Police Professional, South Yorkshire Police Federation chair Neil Bowles said the loss of 1,500 jobs was a worst-case scenario and that he “dreaded to think” how much of an impact potential cuts could have on the force’s ability to provide both local and specialised policing.

“I cannot see how we can cope. We need to come up with some things we can stop doing, rather than saying we can still provide the range of services we have always done,” he said. “People say you’ve got to do more for less – that’s absolute rubbish. You only get less for less.”

Responding to the reports, South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings said following the Chancellor’s announcement last month that spending cuts will have to come from non-protected areas such as the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, police forces are in a very stark position.

“We know that between now and 2020 we have to make a further £59 million of savings, on top of the £53 million already saved over the last four years,” he said.

“Nearly 90 per cent of South Yorkshire Police’s budget is spent on salaries, so if we are to make these further significant savings inevitably staff numbers will be affected, but we will also continue to explore every option available to reduce our costs.

“We are currently at the stage of discussing options rather than making decisions. However, we are going to have to make some very difficult decisions in order to provide a police service that will meet the challenging and changing demands we face.”

South Yorkshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Andy Holt said the necessary savings would only be achieved by a reduction in officer and staff numbers.

“We are working hard to minimise the impact of this decrease, but we have to review our staffing levels to make such extensive savings,” he said.

Recently, the chief executive of the office of the police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, Andrew White, said if Policing Minister Mike Penning’s proposals to alter the funding formula (see PP465) are successful, Devon and Cornwall Police would receive £11 million a year less in funding, resulting in the loss of 200 officer posts.

Mr White described the plans as a “catastrophe” and said they would lead to poorer services and decreased public safety.