Police Cuts Slammed

Usdaw has launched a campaign against the police cuts in England and Wales and has branded the Tory-led Coalition’s attack on police budgets ‘a threat to the safety of all public-facing workers’.

The campaign was initially launched at the Labour Party conference in September and later showcased at a special Westminster event in October. It has already won the support of hundreds of Labour MPs, including shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, and gathered more momentum during the Union’s annual Respect For Shopworkers Week in early November.

General Secretary John Hannett said: “Every minute of every day a shopworker is assaulted, threatened or abused by either angry customers, shoplifters or someone who has been refused a sale of alcohol or age restricted goods".

“The fear of violence, threats and verbal abuse should never be accepted as just a part of the job. But it isn't only shopworkers that face these problems. NHS staff, teachers, the police and all public-facing workers have the same concerns. It is Government's first duty to keep all of us safe. That is where this Tory-led Coalition will fail us, with a predicted loss of 16,000 frontline police officers, 1,800 PCSOs and over 16,000 support staff."

“Does anyone really believe that by cutting frontline policing crime will continue to fall? That is not the logical conclusion I draw. I fear that when these cuts bite we will be left with a much less effective police force that will be grossly under-staffed and demoralised."

“I fear that Britain will return to the dark days of high unemployment, high crime and little hope. Yvette Cooper and Labour MPs up and down the country have done a first rate job opposing the police cuts in Parliament and our Reps will be doing all they can to take our message to the public.”

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