Traffic Police cut in Manchester

[Bluepete]

Whilst I know that in general, Traffic Cops are not the most popular it is without doubt the case that we have a very important role to play in road safety.

The UK homicide rate is around 750 per year, road fatalities account for around 3000 deaths per year.

And yet, GMP have just announced that as part of the Government savings, the Traffic unit is to loose 44% of the front line Cops. And I mean the lads and lasses out there on the roads in traffic cars, doing a job. We will be cut from 180 to just 100 and one of the three units will be shut. That will leave one base at Leigh and one in Wythenshaw. The numbers will be split amongst five shifts.

This is on the same day that the number of response officers on each division is cut from around twenty to just ten per shift. Just ten. Take out court, courses, leave, sickness, training etc and each shift will probably parade six or seven cops to answer all the 999 calls, fights, burglaries, domestics and so on. Each group of ten will be responsible for a whole division, so each council area in Manchester. Have a look on the map and you decide if that's enough;





So we have the Government saying there will be no reduction in front line Policing, the Force saying the same and yet the clear fact is, when you crash your car or your neighbour is breaking his wife's face and you dial 999, you will be waiting a long time.

I am in a very lucky position at the moment that as a cop, I can't be made redundant, so I will be paid every month, but how is reducing front line staff going to save millions?

There are 250 civilian staff loosing their jobs too, Manchester Evening News

I have no idea what I'll be doing in the coming months, the announcement was made today, but the names of who is going won't be announced for another week. That, to me is a really poor piece of management, keeping us hanging on like that.

So, a week of wondering, worrying and nerves.

Pete

scary just scary
sit and watch the crime figure rise expenitally

Pete, it's ridiculous. I really cannot fathom what those with the shiny bits on their shoulders are thinking at the moment whilst sat in their ivory towers.

The effects of the budget cuts have not yet been announced here. I would imagine though, that we are about to see similar. Although, I believe from the recent media reports, that the wheels are in motion for an amalgamated Scottish Police Force - purely in order to save money.

But it's ok, cos if we cut the numbers of response, traffic and CID - ie the front line jobs, everything will be fine.

be thankfull ur not in the military.

Utterly disgraceful.

[maviczap]

Unfortunately the crim's in your part of the world will be rubbing their hands with glee, knowing full well that there's going to be less of you guys about.

As I keep hearing in my lot we have to do the 'Same with less' or 'More for less', just how is that possible? Still trying to do all the same jobs but with less staff, sorry something falls off the end, always.

What about all the other jobs that will go, drugs squad, anti paedophile units etc.

It's also false economy, now there will be no preventative policing, just clear up.
Traffic offences as you know Pete have sometimes got other things involved like drugs, illegal immigration, outstanding warrants etc, so who is gonna detect these now?

Hope it works out for all of you, cutting frontline services of anything will come back to bite them on the jacksy.

Originally Posted by specialone

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Traffic offences as you know Pete have sometimes got other things involved like drugs, illegal immigration, outstanding warrants etc, so who is gonna detect these now?

The speed cameras of course.

And the govt now wants to appoint local police commissioners - elected, so the turnout will be negligible - so when the crime rate starts to increase and the unresolved rate increases faster still, the govt can blame the commissioners for making the wrong decisions.

[punyXpress]

First dibs on your bike, Pete.
Seriously, all the best with The Job.
I'm sure a lot of the cuts being made are a deliberate attempt to have maximum impact on the employees & Joe Public and that a lot of the ' non-jobs ' are left unscathed.
Sometimes wish I was cynical.

[Richie]

That is the ****est news Pete.
Hope your job is safe.