Our MP, Don Foster, has called for more police to be out on the street in Bath. Don spoke after the Lib Dems launched our policing manifesto for the 2010 General Election.
Since March 2005, Avon & Somerset Police have lost 99 officers, and is one of 18 of 43 forces to have lost officers in this period. The Conservatives have run the local police authority for this time, and also run two-thirds of the authorities who have shed police since 2005. Labour run the other third. The loss of 99 officers means the force ranks 8th in terms of officers lost since 2005, and in 2009 the force lost 56 officers. Bath MP Don said,
The best way to prevent crime is to catch criminals, and the best way to catch criminals is to have more police officers out on the beat. The Conservative-run police authority has let this area down, by cutting police numbers. The police we have do a superb job, but they cannot make up for the fact that we need more police out on the streets catching criminals. That’s why the Liberal Democrats would scrap Labour’s illiberal ID card scheme, and instead fund 3,000 extra police officers for the nation.
Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said,
The Liberal Democrats are the only party that wants to cut crime by putting more police on the street. When only one in a hundred crimes ends up with a conviction in court, it is time for things to change. Labour and the Conservatives may talk tough but they are unwilling to make the crucial decisions to cut crime.
Launching Safer Streets – More and Better Police Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg and Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne revealed research showing that:
o Police numbers have fallen in 18 out of the 43 police forces (42%) in England and Wales since 2005. Two thirds of these police authorities are currently controlled by the Tories and one third by Labour
o The new officers proposed under Liberal Democrat plans could be expected to make an additional 27,500 arrests and solve more than 24,500 extra crimes each year in England and Wales alone
The extra officers, funded by the savings from scrapping ID cards, would be provided over the course of a Parliament with every area in England, Wales and Scotland benefiting.
The plans to cut crime through more and better policing also include:
o Elected police authorities
o Publishing detection data as well as crime data at ward level
o A review of the restrictive terms and conditions for police officers, including introducing an annual fitness check for all officers on the beat