MP and police chief in war of words

A WAR of words has flared up between Warrington North MP Helen Jones and Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer.
The Labour MP has fired another salvo after Mr Dwyer accused her of getting her facts wrong over alleged cuts in the police service.
Ms Jones said the commissioner had failed to answer her concerns about policing in North Warrington.
She said: “If we look beyond Mr Dwyer’s insults and see the facts, it is clear that it is correct that officers and PCSOs will have to travel from the centre of Warrington to the outlying areas and travel back at the end of their shift.
“This will dramatically reduce the time they are available on the ground.
“Birchwood and Risley pioneered community policing in our town and it has been very successful. It is a pity that this work is now being undermined.
“Risley police station is only guaranteed to stay open for a year and I have no confidence that it will remain open after the Police and Crime Commissioner election.”
Mr Dwyer had criticised the MP for going to the media rather than approaching him directly.
He claimed he wanted to work constructively with her for the benefit of her constituents – but she refused to speak to him, which he found “frustrating.”
And he insisted that the public would see more police on the streets as a result of changes in policing – even though officers would have to travel from a central briefing point to the area they were policing.
Ms Jones said: “Having police and PCSOs out on the streets is crucial to reassure the community and for building those relationships which help to stop and solve crimes.
“When Cheshire police have confirmed that they will have to make cuts of £34 million over the next four years and have already lost 199 officers, telling us he will recruit 53 more does not make up for that.
“The truth is that under this government the police are being hollowed out and experienced officers are being lost. The Commissioner was elected as a Conservative candidate and campaigned for the Conservatives in the General Election so he cannot pretend that these cuts are nothing to do with him.
“He’s a politician and like any politician he can expect to be subject to public scrutiny.”
Mr Dwyer claims he is introducing new technology which will mean officers do not have to return to police stations to complete bureaucratic reporting procedures.