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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Police chief constable says professional service at risk from budget cuts | Police chief constable says professional service at risk from budget cuts |
| (5 months later) | |
| Head of Northumbria force Steve Ashman says point of not being able to deliver a professional service ‘very, very close’ | |
| Josh Halliday North of England correspondent | |
| Fri 8 Sep 2017 10.40 BST | |
| Last modified on Thu 21 Sep 2017 00.23 BST | |
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| The chief constable of Northumbria police has said the force is getting “very, very close” to not being able to deliver a professional service because of budget cuts. | The chief constable of Northumbria police has said the force is getting “very, very close” to not being able to deliver a professional service because of budget cuts. |
| Steve Ashman, who will retire in November, issued the warning ahead of one of the force’s busiest weekends of the year, during which its officers will police the Great North Run, the world’s biggest half marathon, alongside other events. | Steve Ashman, who will retire in November, issued the warning ahead of one of the force’s busiest weekends of the year, during which its officers will police the Great North Run, the world’s biggest half marathon, alongside other events. |
| He told a Newcastle city council meeting on Thursday night: “If the day of not being able to provide a professional service was here, I would say. It is not here, but it is getting very, very close.” | He told a Newcastle city council meeting on Thursday night: “If the day of not being able to provide a professional service was here, I would say. It is not here, but it is getting very, very close.” |
| Northumbria police have had funding cuts of 23% since 2010, the highest level in England and Wales, losing 800 officers and staff in that time. | Northumbria police have had funding cuts of 23% since 2010, the highest level in England and Wales, losing 800 officers and staff in that time. |
| More recently, the force has been consumed by its biggest ever child and adult sexual exploitation investigation, Operation Sanctuary, which identified 780 potential victims. | More recently, the force has been consumed by its biggest ever child and adult sexual exploitation investigation, Operation Sanctuary, which identified 780 potential victims. |
| The inquiry sparked a number of splinter investigations, including Operation Shelter which led to 18 members of a Newcastle grooming gang being convicted in August of offences including rape, trafficking, prostitution and drug crimes. | The inquiry sparked a number of splinter investigations, including Operation Shelter which led to 18 members of a Newcastle grooming gang being convicted in August of offences including rape, trafficking, prostitution and drug crimes. |
| The final two members of the gang will be sentenced on Friday following the sentencing of their accomplices earlier this week. The investigation was criticised by child protection charities after it emerged that police paid nearly £10,000 to a convicted rapist to inform on the gang, a decision defended by Ashman. | The final two members of the gang will be sentenced on Friday following the sentencing of their accomplices earlier this week. The investigation was criticised by child protection charities after it emerged that police paid nearly £10,000 to a convicted rapist to inform on the gang, a decision defended by Ashman. |
| The chief constable, who last month announced his decision to retire after just over two years in the job, addressed councillors as his force prepared for a weekend during which his officers will police a protest, a Sunderland football game and the Great North Run, with more than 57,000 runners taking part. | The chief constable, who last month announced his decision to retire after just over two years in the job, addressed councillors as his force prepared for a weekend during which his officers will police a protest, a Sunderland football game and the Great North Run, with more than 57,000 runners taking part. |
| “Officers have had their leave days cancelled – that is not unusual – and it is having an impact,” he said, in comments reported by the Newcastle Chronicle. | “Officers have had their leave days cancelled – that is not unusual – and it is having an impact,” he said, in comments reported by the Newcastle Chronicle. |
| Total funding for Northumbria police in 2017-18, including government grants and money raised through council tax, is £259.6m, up from £259.5m in 2015-16. | Total funding for Northumbria police in 2017-18, including government grants and money raised through council tax, is £259.6m, up from £259.5m in 2015-16. |
| However, this does not include inflation, currently running at 2.9%. The funding has been cut in real terms once inflation is taken into account. | However, this does not include inflation, currently running at 2.9%. The funding has been cut in real terms once inflation is taken into account. |
| A Home Office spokesman said: “Despite the very welcome decrease in traditionally recorded crime, we are sensitive to the pressures the police face. We recognised the importance of wider policing in the 2015 spending review, which protected overall police spending in real terms, and this year Northumbria police is receiving £600,000 more direct resource funding than in 2015-16. | A Home Office spokesman said: “Despite the very welcome decrease in traditionally recorded crime, we are sensitive to the pressures the police face. We recognised the importance of wider policing in the 2015 spending review, which protected overall police spending in real terms, and this year Northumbria police is receiving £600,000 more direct resource funding than in 2015-16. |
| “Ministers have begun a programme of engagement with the police to better understand the demands they face, and how these can best be managed.” | “Ministers have begun a programme of engagement with the police to better understand the demands they face, and how these can best be managed.” |
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