Theresa throws out policing pledge

Adam Hewitt • Published 1 Jul 2010 14:00 0 Comments

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POLICING pledges launched by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown in Reading earlier this year have been scrapped.

Home Secretary Theresa May, whose Maidenhead constituency includes Twyford and parts of Woodley, said his promise that neighbourhood officers will spend 80% of their time on the beat is unsustainable because of budget cuts and will be scrapped with immediate effect.

She told the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) annual conference in Manchester on Tuesday: "The cuts will be big; they will be tough to achieve; and cuts will fall on the police as they will on other public services. I know that some officers like the policing pledge and some, I'm sure, like the comfort of knowing they have ticked boxes. But targets don't fight crime; targets hinder the fight against crime."

The policing pledge was launched in December 2008 and extensions to it were announced by Mr Brown at a speech in Reading Town Hall in March.

Thames Valley chief constable Sara Thornton was still at the Acpo conference and unavailable for comment as the Chronicle went to press.

Reading East MP Rob Wilson, who earlier this year accused police bosses of "complacency" over poor crime-solving statistics, welcomed the move and said it would cut needless red tape.

He said: "Removing some of the more onerous target from policemen and women is a good thing to do, especially as police budgets are under pressure and they must have the freedom to prioritise their spending to cut crime."

- THE police authority approved the force's plan last week to cut £3.4m from its budget mid-year on Government orders.

It expects to save £1.3m over two years by cutting payments to staff with special responsibilities, £1m through slashing overtime and agency staff and more by sharing services with neighbouring counties. It is also changing mileage payments, reviewing its vehicles and reducing its development budget.

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