Fewer BiB or more [hypocritical] hypothecation?
Discussion
This could be good news - more BiB in the front line; or it could be bad news - fewer BiB; or it could be terrible news - more income from fines. It suggests only the first option, but the accountants now running the police "service" will look at the other two options as well.
Based upon performance to date, I suggest it is highly unlikely that we'll see any drop in the number of bureaucrats ... that's not this government's way! So probably fewer BiB and more scameras (the unspoken options) - Streaky
Based upon performance to date, I suggest it is highly unlikely that we'll see any drop in the number of bureaucrats ... that's not this government's way! So probably fewer BiB and more scameras (the unspoken options) - Streaky
The Daily Telegraph said:
Police jobs 'in danger from huge cash crisis'
By George Jones, Political Editor
Police forces across England are facing a multi-million pound cash crisis next year because of funding shortfalls, according to a Conservative Party survey published yesterday.
David Davis, the Tory home affairs spokesman, said the authorities might need to cut staff because of holes in their budgets and the cost of meeting Government targets.
The Association of Police Authorities said the Tory figures sounded "too pessimistic" but acknowledged that there was "a major funding gap" which could affect front-line policing.
According to the survey, Kent is facing a £19 million deficit, Norfolk £7.8 million and Suffolk £6 million in the next financial year.
Mr Davis said the Conservatives had found a large number of police authorities saying they were going to face difficulties next year, which could lead to fewer policemen on the beat.
Mr Davis denied the figures had been exaggerated.
"These were numbers given to us by the police authorities," he said. "We have just taken the numbers given and are reflecting what we have been told about the effects on their attempts to maintain the police service."
He said police forces were being held to ransom by a Government that told them how to spend their money and forced them to "spend time on form-filling and gimmicks and not on meeting local priorities and needs".
Jim Wilson, a member of the Association of Police Authorities' funding group and chairman of Norfolk police authority, said forces were facing a three-way squeeze of Home Office demands for better policing, efficiency savings from the Treasury and calls to keep demands on council tax low from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
"It points to a situation where police authorities will have to look at cuts," Mr Wilson said.
He backed Mr Davis's view that authorities could cut back on civilian backroom staff to reduce costs and then be forced to move officers off the beat to cover for them.
"Eventually cuts will be felt in terms of police visibility and in the reassurance given by front-line policing," he said. "That would fly totally in the face of what the Home Secretary wants to see."
Mr Wilson said Government funding allocations, due to be announced in November, were expected to increase roughly in line with inflation at around three per cent.
Because police costs were rising higher than the retail price index, largely due to the high costs of salaries and pensions, police authorities needed 5.5 per cent to maintain current service levels.
If the Government's contribution to police costs rose by only three per cent, police authorities would face a nationwide shortfall of £350 million, he said.
David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, said funding the police was "top priority" for the Government and there was record spending on the service. Since 2001, total provision for policing had increased by over £2.3 billion - more than 30 per cent.
The Government was working with the police service to cut bureaucracy and free up police officers so they could focus on front-line duties.
More than 90 per cent of policing grants are spent entirely at police authority discretion.
This sort of stuff pees me off greatly.
West Mercia the force area in which Family FiF reside receives about £10m less than the average for other rural forces. Despite that the budget shortfall is nothing like the figures mentioned by Streaky.
How much of Kent's problem is caused by Govt inability to deal with other issues, illegal immigrants as one example. OK slap self on wrist, poor asylum seekers. Pah!
Streaky sorry if this next bit heads off at a tangent, just an example of how they waste money elsewhere.
On the other hand just up the road they have spent £10,000 on about 1.5 to 2miles of "advisory" cycle lanes.
You might well ask WTF are "advisory" cycle lanes.
It's an on road cycle route apparently. Not cycle lanes as we know them, but bike logos are painted on the road. Originally they painted them in the middle of the road, yes seriously, but then they had to go and burn them off and repaint them towards the edge.
So for example you get a narrow one way street, with marked parking bays along the left. Then a smattering of bike logos like some sort of pox along the rest of it. At junctions there is "red paint marking to give a higher profile to cyclists."
Does this stop the cyclists riding up this one way the wrong way, and without lights at night. Does anybody take any notice....arrggggghhhhhh!
{b]WORCESTERSHIRE TRAVELWISE, and YES THAT ESPECIALLY INCLUDES YOU SERENA BELLAMY! STOP WASTING MY HARD EARNED TAXES YOU STUPID NUMPTIES GO AND GET PROPER JOBS!!!!!!
:deep breath: Sorry about that, I'll be OK after a lie down
West Mercia the force area in which Family FiF reside receives about £10m less than the average for other rural forces. Despite that the budget shortfall is nothing like the figures mentioned by Streaky.
How much of Kent's problem is caused by Govt inability to deal with other issues, illegal immigrants as one example. OK slap self on wrist, poor asylum seekers. Pah!
Streaky sorry if this next bit heads off at a tangent, just an example of how they waste money elsewhere.
On the other hand just up the road they have spent £10,000 on about 1.5 to 2miles of "advisory" cycle lanes.
You might well ask WTF are "advisory" cycle lanes.
It's an on road cycle route apparently. Not cycle lanes as we know them, but bike logos are painted on the road. Originally they painted them in the middle of the road, yes seriously, but then they had to go and burn them off and repaint them towards the edge.
So for example you get a narrow one way street, with marked parking bays along the left. Then a smattering of bike logos like some sort of pox along the rest of it. At junctions there is "red paint marking to give a higher profile to cyclists."
Does this stop the cyclists riding up this one way the wrong way, and without lights at night. Does anybody take any notice....arrggggghhhhhh!
{b]WORCESTERSHIRE TRAVELWISE, and YES THAT ESPECIALLY INCLUDES YOU SERENA BELLAMY! STOP WASTING MY HARD EARNED TAXES YOU STUPID NUMPTIES GO AND GET PROPER JOBS!!!!!! :deep breath: Sorry about that, I'll be OK after a lie down
[quote=Flat in Fifth
On the other hand just up the road they have spent £10,000 on about 1.5 to 2miles of "advisory" cycle lanes.
[/quote]
Round our way we have "Quiet lanes". Which appears to consist of putting a sign up. Which no-one takes any notice of, because we never see the cops unless there's a big accident (back of beyond).
I am somewhat cynical about the Police budget whinges. They've been claiming absurd increases for years now, it seems to be expected.
I bet the likes of Streetcop don't get the money - nor will it go for more Streetcops.
On the other hand just up the road they have spent £10,000 on about 1.5 to 2miles of "advisory" cycle lanes.
[/quote]
Round our way we have "Quiet lanes". Which appears to consist of putting a sign up. Which no-one takes any notice of, because we never see the cops unless there's a big accident (back of beyond).
I am somewhat cynical about the Police budget whinges. They've been claiming absurd increases for years now, it seems to be expected.
I bet the likes of Streetcop don't get the money - nor will it go for more Streetcops.
autismuk said:
Round our way we have "Quiet lanes".
Don't even get me started on them. Quiet lanes are now anything but because more people start using them in order to see what is quiet about them.
People complain about the increase in the budget precept. For West Mercia the increase amounts to 13p/day/household or thereabouts.
Then the Govt takes £1m back out of the budget as punishment for something. Oh yes we don't vote Labour that's why.
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