Civilian workers to do Notts Police officers’ work

Nottinghamshire Police has outlined an extreme new strategy to slash millions more from its budget, which includes civilian workers doing the work of officers.
Police stock pix.Picture Richard Ponter 134127aPolice stock pix.Picture Richard Ponter 134127a
Police stock pix.Picture Richard Ponter 134127a

The force has been forced to save tens of millions of pounds in recent years due to Government funding cuts, but is now having to find another £12.7m over the next year.

As a result, the force is set to roll out its new strategy to meet the bridge the deficit , which includes employing fewer people, task citizen workers with jobs to free up existing frontline officers, and an aim for ‘trained investigators’ to deal with 30 per cent of crime over the phone.

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Chief Constable Chris Eyre said: “We know we can’t deliver the service we want and can’t go through the cuts we have been through and keep the same number of people.

“We have taken the organisation through some immense changes in recent years, but we’ve taken some of the very best ideas we’ve found across the country.

“We’re not the only police force going through changes, but tragically, we face bigger cuts than most.

“We are going to be smaller, but much more efficient at how we work. It’s a financial redesign.”

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He outlined plans to work closer with other emergency services, make better use of IT and for officers to ‘remain embedded’ in communities.

The force have also pledged to employ 100 new officers in the coming years, although the number of serving bobbies was cut by 300 as the austerity measures took hold.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, Paddy Tipping, added: “The issue is very straightforward. Nottinghamshire Police have had a very difficult history and performed poorly, but since Chris became chief constable we have made real progress and change.

“We’ve been criticised that change has not come quick enough, but we need to protect front-line policing, and hopefully this will provide a better service.”

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