As violent crime increases, the Tories are going to cut 1,000 more police – says May

This afternoon there’ll be a vote in Commons on the Police Grant Report, which will help determine the financing of police up and down the country in the coming year.

Ahead of this, Yvette Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary, has launched an attack on the current Home Secretary’s plans – saying they could amount to a reduction of 1,000 police officers in the coming year. That would add to the 16,000 police officer jobs already axed under the Coalition.

Writing on Politics Home, Cooper points out that although the number of reported thefts has been falling in recent years, violent crime is on the rise – from cases of online crimes to domestic abuse and rape.

Cooper outlines Labour’s approach to policing, that would see other ways of making savings (outlined in the party’s Zero-Based Review). This would include a national procurement programme for contracts on items such as riot shields and handcuffs to putting an end to the police subsidising gun licenses (Cooper explains police forces lose £20 million through subsidising gun licenses but David Cameron has personally blocked any changes to this) and getting rid of Police and Crime Commissioners – which would save £50 million next year.

That’s why, she says, Labour will be voting against the measures today.