West Yorkshire Police have been told to make £20 million in cuts this year. It is estimated that there will be about 1500 fewer Police and this will have a major effect on the fight against crime and disorder in our community.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has claimed that ‘the cuts to the Police Budget will not affect frontline services’. However, this view has been dismissed by the Federation of Police Officers which has warned that the most vulnerable communities will suffer the most:

“Our officers are telling us the most vulnerable in society will be hit the hardest.

‘Those who can protect themselves, will go and protect themselves. Those who can’t protect themselves will be at greater risk of experiencing anti-social behaviour, violent crime and crime generally”

I told a residents meeting in Hyde Park that these cuts will will undo a lot of the great work done by our community policing team which includes the many PCSO’s in our area. We must protest against this out of touch Lib-Con government in the strongest terms to stop this happening. I also took the opportunity also to speak to Yvette Cooper, Labours Shadow Home Secretary to explain to her how this will effect Hyde Park, Woodhouse and Little London at the launch of the campaign to stop the cuts in the policing budget in West Yorkshire.

Labour will resist these cuts which strike another cruel blow against our local community.

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