Lancs Police and Crime Commissioner welcomes positive inspection despite 'impact of austerity on policing'

Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner has welcomed the latest findings that, despite the county's police receiving the second-highest volume of calls for its population after London, Lancashire Constabulary have been adjudged as positive.
Clive Grunshaw.Clive Grunshaw.
Clive Grunshaw.

Clive Grunshaw welcomed the latest inspectors' finding that Lancashire Constabulary were "good at effectively keeping people safe and reducing crime," after figures were released by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.

Lancs Constabulary received 376 calls for assistance per 1,000 people in the last 12 months - well over the national average of 282 pipped only by the Metropolitan Police in London, who received 416 per 1,000.

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"Inspectors have been clear that in Lancashire the police are doing a good job at keeping people safe and acting to reduce crime," said Clive Grunshaw. "However, the savings we still have to make and the demands being placed on the force continue to put a significant strain on the service.

"We're seeing more and more people contacting the police and, having seen the demand on the contact centre, I'm not surprised Lancashire is one of the busiest forces in the country," he added. "We're seeing the result of cuts to services across the public sector, which many of the most vulnerable people in Lancashire rely on.

"When people reach crisis point there is often no other safety net, meaning the police are increasingly the emergency service of first resort.

"Staff and officers deserve praise for the work they are doing under this extreme pressure," the Police and Crime Commissioner continued. "However, the Government needs to understand the impact that austerity on policing - and throughout the public sector - is having, leaving officers to pick up the pieces when people's lives fall apart."