LIBERAL Democrats are claiming success in a campaign to increase funding for police in Warrington.
They say the Government, after threatening to block local efforts to increase police funding, has finally backed down.
Coun Jo Crotty, (pictured) Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Warrington South, said: “The Government has finally decided to listen to local people who say they want the police to be given the money they need to make Warrington’s streets safer.
“The Labour Government first of all gave us the lowest possible police grant increase, continuing their policy of under-funding Warrington’s police. They then threatened to stop efforts by local police chiefs to raise the money themselves. Now finally they have listened to local people and backed down.
“This is great news for Warrington. If the Government had gone ahead with its threats it could have meant the loss of 129 police officers after we lost 47 last year thanks to Labour Government under-funding. We have been campaigning against these cuts since the beginning of the year and have collected more than 1,000 signatures from local people against these cuts.
“Now the police will get the money they need for important programmes like the new Town Centre Policing Unit that will help to make areas like Bridge Street safer for everyone.
“The one thing that disappoints me is that the Government is still not willing to help out local council tax payers. The Government could have shown their support for the police and local residents by funding our officers properly out of the police grant. With this decision they have simply allowed local people to make up for Labour’s funding shortfall.”
