David Hanson MP, Labour’s Shadow Policing Minister, responding to a survey from the Police Federation’s National Detective Forum showing that almost four fifths of detectives think that police service to the public has deteriorated under the Tory-led Government, said:

“This is a damning verdict on this out of touch Government’s impact on policing.

“When 78% of UK detectives believe the police force is getting worse, there is clearly something going very wrong with the Government’s police reforms.  The Home Secretary needs to understand the significance of this service and immediately get a grip to stop problems getting any worse.

“Members of the public will rightly be very concerned by these findings, and it should make grave reading for the Home Secretary yet it comes as no surprise.  With 15,000 police officers being cut by the next election, the police budget slashed by 20% and 30,000 fewer crimes being solved it is clear that the Government’s policing reforms are making life harder for officers and putting communities at risk.

“The Home Secretary and David Cameron need to urgently look at the falling morale and increasing workplace sickness in the police force and think again about these damaging and ill-thought through reforms.”