As many of you will be aware Surrey Police have suffered from massive underfunding at the hands of the Labour government since 1997. As an example funding per head of population in Surrey has fallen from £96 per head to £93 per head in the period. Overall the funding has been slashed to levels that have meant Surrey Police simply cannot function to protect our community.
After setting their share of the Council tax rate to try and accomodate the massive shortfall from Central Government, Surrey were then capped by Central Government and the rate they set was reduced. The reduction works out at £3.25 per council tax payer. Whilst this may sound like good news in one sense what it actually means is that over £1,000,000 will have to be spent by Local Councils in reissuing Council tax bills in Surrey. This includes Elmbridge. Overall it will cots the taxpayer dear.
In addition it will mean around 35 less officers on our streets, a reduction in Community Support Officers and a significant reduction in crime prevention capabilities.
At a full meeting of the Council held on 22nd July, it was proposed that, although Elmbridge could do nothing to stop what the government had done in capping Surrey Police, as a Council Elmbridge should make clear in the strongest possible terms its condemnation of such attacks on the safety and amenity of our community.
The motion was proposed by Conservative Cllr Simon Dodsworth and received unanimous support from all the Conservative Councillors. A number of the Residents Association Councillors agreed with others abstaining and a small minority voting against.
It was the Liberal Democrats who voted en masse against making such a stand. It was the Liberal Democrats who refused to stand up for the people of Surrey and for our police force. Both Councillors Fairbank and Kapadia voted with other Liberal Democrats to send no message at all about the scandalous underfunding of our police. Cllr Fairbank sought to suggest that it was all a political game. Crime is not a game it is a terrifying ordeal that we have the right to expect our Police to be able to deal with. Cutting their funding is not right, or fair, or just.
It would be interesting to see what reaction Cllr Fairbank might have if he became the victim of crime, something significantly more likely if there is no support from community leaders to take a stand against the iniquity of Government policy to our County.
If you agree that Surrey Police need our support drop me a line at tgrey@elmbridge.gov.uk
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment