Home Office Ignorant Of Strain On Police After Cuts, Says Watchdog theguardian.com

Whitehall’s spending watchdog has accused the Home Office of being ignorant of the strain that police officers are under after funding cuts led to 45,000 job losses.

The report from the National Audit Office comes as a debate rages over why crime is rising. Suppressed government research has suggested cuts have played a part though ministers deny this.

The NAO found there had been a 19% drop in funding for police since the Conservatives took power in 2010, and officers were struggling to maintain an effective service.

It said the number of police employees had fallen from 244,497 in 2010 to 199,752, and the proportion of reported crimes resulting in a charge or summons had fallen from 15% in 2015 to 9%.