Police cuts will harm public safety, says chief

Surrey's police chief today accused ministers of "eroding" his ability to protect the public because of a government decision which will force him to cut 50 jobs — including 35 frontline officers — this year.

A capping edict from the Department for Communities and Local Government means Surrey will have to slash £1.6 million from its budget.

This also means new bills will have to be sent to every council taxpayer in the county at a cost of £1.2 million — eating up virtually all of the planned saving.

Ministers insist the cap is necessary to protect Surrey residents from an excessive increase in the policing precept that makes up part of their annual council tax levy.

Surrey Police Authority chairman Peter Williams described the cut as "galling", while Chief Constable Mark Rowley warned that "key operational" jobs would be lost.

He said: "These cuts will undermine the resilience of the policing service and result in officers being pulled from visible frontline duties to fulfil these specialist roles.

"A reduction in our budget every year can only result in an erosion of the level of service that Surrey Police will be able to provide."

The Home Office said Surrey's reduced budget of £197.2 million, while lower than the £198.8 million the force wanted, was still £6 million up on the amount it had last year.

But Mr Rowley said the large number of criminals coming into Surrey from London and elsewhere meant the original budget was justified and said the force would be mounting a legal challenge in a bid to halt cuts.

Surrey Police Authority said it would back the legal challenge and the cap would save the average Band D council taxpayer just 6p a week.

A Home Office spokeswoman insisted the capping should not harm frontline policing.