Monday 5 October 2009

Money, money, money ... cuts, cuts, cuts.

Party conference season lurches to an end. The big three have set out their stalls. All involve cuts in public spending, and less in the pot for public spending.

Strangely enough, a downturn in the economic cycle tends to coincide with a rise in acquisitive crime. Hmmmm. Can anyone see a problem looming on the horizon? Or do we bury our heads in the sand. I was growing up in the eighties, and it was fairly shite. Unemployment and crime do seem to skip along happily, hand in hand and get along just fine.

It must be true - I found this on the internet today - and the internet never lies.

We can expect increasing crime, and either the same or less resources to fight it with. Sounds like perfect time for a massive reorganisation then?

So... at Grim-on-th't-Moor we are throwing ourselves into Neighbourhood policing with gusto. Departments are being renamed, new signs appearing on doors, and the new probationers - sorry, newbies - sorry, Student Officers are soon to be looked after by the Neighbourhood teams, and not response any more. This probably won't save any money. But it will put more staff in the golden calf of 'neighbourhood policing' - so the Home Office will be happier.

But will it make them better neighbours? and less likely to steal stuff, break things, and punch each other?

I'm not holding my breath.

C.

1 comment:

  1. C;
    you're not wrong brother. We are in for some choppy times ahead. If we think it's bad now it's going to be f@*#ing hell on earth 24 months down the line.

    No funding, no new officers, no pay rises, our pensions raided & worst of all, crime going through the bloody roof, with one of our hands still tied behind our back. In short, we are friar-tucked my friend.

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