850 job cuts at South Yorkshire Police

The cuts, which would see the number of support staff falling from 1,733 to 1,001, are outlined in the county’s policing plan, which also reveals public confidence in the police has fallen in Rotherham over the past year. 

Police and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings published the “refreshed” plan, saying the force needed to “look for better ways of doing things at less cost” as budget cuts continued to bite. 

This would be done in many cases by sharing functions, equipment and facilities with other forces and authorities like the fire service.

The renewed police and crime plan shows that more than 1,000 jobs have gone since 2010, including 458 police officers.

Another 115 bobbies’ posts will be cut by 2020, as well as 732 support workers, although there are no plans to reduce the number of police community support officers from the current level of 225 (down by 103 since 2010).

Work is underway to produce “greater functionality at lower cost”, the plan said, while a review has been launched to consider options for the best policing structure, based on “compatibility with collaborative arrangements, effective management of CSE and child abuse, the need for corporate systems and future-proofing with regard to potential elected mayoral models”.

This should also cut administrative and support costs, the force said.

Surveys of public confidence found 65 per cent of people across the county thought South Yorkshire Police treated people fairly and 82 per cent that it showed respect.

There has been no county-wide fall over five years in the proportion believing the police do a good job but the level had fallen by five per cent in Rotherham - which was put down to the highly-critical Jay and Casey reports on child sexual exploitation.

Dr Billings (pictured) noted crime had risen in the past year but said 62 extra posts had been funded in the Public Protection Unit to tackle significant increases in the reporting of such crimes as sexual assault, rape, stalking and harassment.

He added: “As other public services face yet further reductions in their funding, some of that will have implications for policing, placing further demand on diminished resources.

“As far as possible, we will share functions, procure equipment and commission services together (with other authorities).”

You can read the full report in the “About” section at www.southyorkshire-pcc.gov.uk/.

Comments on the plan can be sent to [email protected].