Candidate pledges to fight police cuts

A PLEDGE to fight the cuts in front line police officers has been made by the Labour candidate for the new Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) John Stockton.
He claims that new research from his party shows that 94 front line officers – working in neighbourhoods, 999, response and traffic – in Cheshire have already been cut.
Mr Stockton (pictured) has pledged to stand up for Cheshire against the Government’s 20 per cent cuts to policing.
He said: “These figures show there has been a significant drop in the number of frontline officers here in Cheshire. The Tories should be trying to fight crime and support the police. Instead they are cutting your police officers. They don’t have a proper plan to cut crime. We need real change from this Government to make our streets safer.
“I won’t stand by and let the Tories and Lib Dems become cheerleaders for the police cuts in Cheshire. I will stand up to protect the people of Cheshire and fight crime.”
His comments are supported by Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, who said: “These figures show the frontline is being hit even further and faster than anyone predicted, and PCCs will be put in an impossible position.
“A total of 6,800 frontline officers have gone in two years compared to the 5,800 that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate predicted would be lost over five years.”
She said the cuts were undermining the ability of the police to fight crime.
Figures show there are 1,675 front line officers in Cheshire now compared with 1,769 last year.