HUNDREDS of police officers and civilian staff in York and North Yorkshire are to be axed as force bosses try to balance their books.

North Yorkshire Police said yesterday that Government cuts would cost them more than £19 million in the next four years.

About 200 police officers from all ranks, from constable to chief superintendent, will be cut and police staff will be reduced by about 350.

The cuts equate to about one in four civilian employees and one in eight officers.

York Central MP Hugh Bayley said the cuts meant there was a “real danger” that crime would rise.

He said: “Cuts of this scale are bound to affect front-line services.

“When the Conservatives were last in power, crime in North Yorkshire almost doubled and we didn’t get a single additional police officer during their whole 18 years in power.”

He said he was “extremely worried” by the Government cuts, adding: “If crime rises it will cost the public much more than any savings in the cost of policing.”

Joanna Carter, the treasurer of North Yorkshire Police Authority, said North Yorkshire Police’s grant funding would be cut by £4.3 million in 2011/12 and by £5.3 million in 2012/13.

Taking into account factors such as taxation changes, inflation, and contract costs, she said the force would need to make cost savings of between £9 million and £11 million next year, and more than £19 million by 2014/15.

Every department of the force will be examined with a view to possible restructures.

She said: “The force will undergo a significant restructure to maximise efficiency while protecting front-line service delivery.

“A range of measures will be used to achieve this such as working with partners and forces across the region to drive out savings.”

Nigel Adams, Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty, called the settlement “challenging but manageable”, and said the force must do everything in its power to protect effective policing.

He said: “By cutting out costs and scrapping bureaucracy we are saving hundreds of millions of pounds and hundreds of thousands of man hours – so this settlement does not need to lead to any reduction in police officers visible and available on the streets.”

The 200 officers may retire or be forced to retire under a regulation adopted by North Yorkshire Police Authority on Monday.

The Regulation A19 means that officers who have been on the force for 30 years or more can be forced to retire. Their positions would then not be filled.

The force has invited civilian staff to volunteer for redundancy, but will impose compulsory redundancies if necessary.


1,500 jobs ‘to go’

POLICE budget cuts will mean 1,500 staff will be lost over the next four years, the chief constable of West Yorkshire has said.

Sir Norman Bettison said there were 13 reviews going on within the force to consider ways of saving cash.

But he insisted front-line services would not be cut and local policing and emergency responses were a priority.