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Police say more cuts will lead to paramilitary-style policing

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

The chair of the Police Federation, Steve White, has warned Theresa May that further cuts to police budgets will lead to a paramilitary style of policing, reports The Guardian.

His comments come ahead of the Federation's annual conference this week. White highlighted the cuts to police budgets of 20 per cent and falls in officer numbers of 17,000 since 2010. 

He said further cuts of similar proportions would lead to:

''...a style of policing where the first options are teargas, rubbber bullets and water cannon, which are the last options in the UK.''

Our Director, Richard Garside, has written two articles countering White's remarks, by putting recent falls in officer numbers in a longer term perspective. You can read them here and here.

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