Local MP Andrew Percy has called for the protection of rural policing during the eventual restructuring of police organisation. During Home Affairs Questions in the House of Commons Chamber the MP asked the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice, Nick Herbert, to treat rural policing with as much importance as city centre policing has been in the past.
Andrew Percy MP said, “Everybody knows that as a result of the mess in the public finances left by the Labour Government, the Coalition is going to have to reduce public spending. All parties were agreed at the election on the need to do this but it must be done in the proper way.
I am not sure Humberside Police has yet got to grips with this and it was only a few months ago that Humberside Police cut the bounty payments made to Special Constables. They cut this relatively small expenditure despite the fact that they have a massive overtime budget for regular police running to some £6 million.
I therefore wanted assurances from the Minister that police forces such as Humberside’s wouldn’t be allowed to make easy savings. In the past we have seen police forces focus too much on city centre policing to the disadvantage of rural policing and that is what I tackled the Minister on.”
I asked the Minister to confirm that the Government would ensure that rural policing received as much attention as urban policing.”
In response to Mr Percy, Police Minister, Nick Herbert MP said, “I understand my hon. Friend's concern about rural policing, as do many of us who represent rural areas, and we appreciate the need to ensure effective policing in both rural and urban areas.”