POLITICIANS from across the region have come together to call on the government to reverse years of policing austerity in the Queen's Speech.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burham joined Police and crime commissioners for Merseyside, Lancashire and Cheshire in writing to the Home Secretary to ensure that the public's concerns about police cuts are top of the government's agenda.
Citing recent attacks and the collapse of neighbourhood policing which provides community intelligence they wrote: "As Home Secretary you have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that police forces across the country are properly resourced so they can keep people safe and tackle crime.
"We are asking that you ensure that this is a priority for the government by making a clear commitment to reverse austerity in policing in this year's Queen's Speech."
A copy of the letter sent to Home Secretary Amber Rudd
In Merseyside savings of around £84 million have been made since 2010 with more than £18 million additional savings estimated to be needed by 2022.
This has resulted in a reduction of more than 1,000 officers in seven years.
Merseyside’s police commissioner Jane Kennedy said: “I have lobbied central government for more funding for our police service for years.
"It is has now got to the point that chief constables and senior policing leaders can no longer stay silent and are speaking out.
“The need is real. It is time ministers listened.
“The thin blue line is stretched like never before and further cuts are damaging all frontline services.
"The government needs to stop these cuts and, instead, consider how to invest in the service which works so hard to keep us all safe, all of the time.”
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