Police force axes officer jobs

[Standard Dave]

Up to 100 police officer jobs in County Durham are facing the axe in a bid to save the force £3m a year.
Durham Police blamed government spending restrictions and low council tax levels for the cut-backs that will take place after April this year.

It aims to shed the posts through retirements, transfers to other forces and natural wastage.

The force will also recruit an extra 70 community support officers and 70 other staff to try and offset the losses.

In a statement, the force, which has 2,600 staff, said if the savings were not made Durham Police would be in debt by 2009.

Blair meeting

It said: "Durham is widely acknowledged as well run, offering the best pound-for-pound value of any non-metropolitan force.

"The irony is cuts are necessary to balance the books because of Government spending restrictions and prudent housekeeping over the past decade that has kept council tax levels down to the lowest level.

"Although the force is not in debt, it could find itself heavily in the red by 2009 without help from Government or clearance to raise council tax locally."

Chief Constable Jon Stoddart said no final decisions had been made and that he was hoping to meet the prime minister in the next few weeks to discuss the force's future.

He said: "The roles of all individuals affected by any changes will be the subject of further detailed discussion, risk assessment and consultation with staff associations."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/6230663.stm

So to save money they are going to leave 100 constable vacancies unfilled but hire 140 civilians it doesn't make much sense to me

[Piggybank Cop]

So to save money they are going to leave 100 constable vacancies unfilled but hire 140 civilians it doesn't make much sense to me.

+1

[Ducky]

Maybe they're planning on underpaying the civs so it costs the same as the officers would, but there's more people for that price?

[Pinki]

I'm sure glad I don't live in the UK. From what I've heard victims can't do anything to protect themselves, onlookers can't help either, and now the law enforcement ranks will be cut. Sounds like a criminal's paradise.