£250,000 police funding scrapped!

Councillor Alan Taylor, Leader of Rochdale Borough Council has announced that the Council's ground-breaking partnership with Greater Manchester Police will end this year. The policy, which led to a number of extra officers in our Borough has been in place for 2 years. The extra officers have been placed in schools and the community and have been that successful, the idea has been copied throughout Greater Manchester.

Councillor Taylor said, "We have been victims of our own success, our idea has been closely monitored by Police Bosses and rolled out throughout Greater Manchester via the policy levy - the contribution through Council Tax. It was felt that under the current climate, we should expect the police to pay. We have asked GMP why we should be the only Authority that is actually paying extra for this and will start negotiations shortly to retain this service. Our Council is currently in the middle of an efficiency programme and it was felt that this 'enhanced' service should be funded by existing GMP resources."

Police Authority Member Councillor Barbara Todd said, "Rochdale Council's proactive approach to community policing has been a great success. It is has led to increased pupil engagement with officers and encouraged respect by pupils to officers. It is clear though that with other authorities getting this service 'free', our Council shouldn't now be forced to cough up extra. As the Council's Police Authority Member, I will continue to speak up for more officers throughout our Borough."

We have notified Greater Manchester Police of our intention to scrap the £250,000 funding for one extra police officer in each township. Our intention had been that Greater Manchester Police would be able to put an extra officer on the streets in each township. They chose to put them in schools, which is their prerogative, but they have also done this in most other Authorities across Greater Manchester, and we have asked why we should be the only Authority that is actually paying extra for this.

I am surprised that the Leader of the Conservative Group classes the police as wasteful policies, and he still doesn't understand our other policies.

Our efficiency programme should save a lot of money, but what it could be called is an "efficient spending policy", and I thought that the Conservatives were on board for this."