SLAMMED £1.5 MILLION of cuts to local police
Ben Twomey slams the Police Commissioner’s plan for another £1.5 MILLION of cuts to local police over next three years
Ben Twomey, Labour’s candidate for Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, has hit out at the “legacy of cuts” being left for residents by the current Police and Crime Commissioner.
The current Commissioner’s budget identifies £1.569m worth of so-called ‘savings’ to be made in Warwickshire Police over the next three years. This is despite him raising local taxes to a record high for the fourth year in a row.
The Conservative budget includes the assumption that council tax for policing will continue to rise, and yet it demands that Warwickshire Police find ‘savings’ of £410,000 in 2021/22, £562,000 in 2022/23 and £597,000 in 2023/24. These savings are not yet identified, meaning it is impossible to say which teams or services will be cut.
Ben has promised that if he is elected on 6th May, that on day one he will write to the government demanding proper funding for Warwickshire Police.
Ben said: “The last round of Conservative cuts in Warwickshire fell on the same day residents received a bill for a 15% increase in their council tax for policing. People are tired of paying more and getting less every year.
“The current Police Commissioner needs to level with local people. He is seeking re-election while burying the bad news that further cuts are on the way. Last month he cut every single Domestic Abuse Risk Officer alongside dozens of police staff. Who will be the next out the door if the Police Commissioner quietly waves through more cuts?”
Warwickshire voters can go to the polls for Police and Crime Commissioner and local council elections from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 6th May.
