Retiring chief constable warns of austerity crimewave
The chief constable of Dyfed Powys Police is to retire, blaming government reforms as part of the reason.
The chief constable of Dyfed Powys Police is to retire, blaming government reforms as part of the reason.
Ian Arundale will retire next month after dedicating more than 32 years to the police service. Mr Arundale said it is the right time for him to step down as head of the force in light of the significant changes taking place which includes the introduction of police and crime commissioners (PCCs), who will be elected in November.
Mr Arundale said: I am confident that all the foundations, structures, people and processes are now in place to face the challenges that will come during the four year tenure of the first police and crime commissioner. Continuity of leadership will be vital during this period and because of this and other considerations I have decided that the time is now right to allow a new chief constable to be appointed to lead the force through the next set of challenges.
His decision comes just weeks after Gloucestershire Constabulary Chief Constable Tony Melville resigned after raising grave concerns around the Governments radical reform plans to introduce PCCs.
Meanwhile, Mr Arundale warned that the cuts could lead to a rise in anti-social behaviour in Wales and crime on the periphery will not be prioritised.
He said: Fortunately, in most of Wales we are still seeing decreases in crime but thats not the case up and down the country and were normally behind in that way. But there is an austerity crimewave starting in certain parts of the country and, at the heart of it, people want to be safe when they go out onto the streets and they want to come back home and for their properties to be in one piece.
My fear is that unless we get through this situation relatively quickly there could be unintended consequences. Now quite clearly my staff are going to focus firstly on the emergencies. The danger with that is the more were required to cut, sometimes the work on the periphery wont be prioritised.
The Shadow Policing Minister criticised the Government over Mr Arundales intention to retire and said it is yet another example showing how senior officers are against government proposals.
David Hanson said: Another police chief constable has been forced to go public over his concerns for the future of policing as a result of the Tory-led Governments 20 per cent cuts.
David Cameron needs to listen to those on the frontline who are protecting our communities. Mr Arundale has warned of a growing austerity crimewave hitting some areas of the country. The loss of over 16,000 police officers with over 5,000 already gone from frontline units that respond to 999 emergency calls is going to impact on how police are able to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour effectively.
He added that anti-social behaviour can blight communities and make peoples lives a misery and urged the Government to address the issue.
However, the Home Office said it does not consider anti-social behaviour to be a low-priority issue and said cuts are needed to help bring down the national deficit.
A spokesperson said: By tackling binge drinking in our towns and cities we are helping forces around the country. This government doesnt consider anti-social behaviour to be low-level it affects many victims, making their lives a misery.
As a service spending some £14 billion a year, it is right for the police to make their contribution to reducing the record budget deficit. By sweeping away central targets, bureaucracy and red tape we are helping police forces focus resources on the front line and their one core mission: to cut crime.