PCC: West Midlands could lose 10 per cent of counter-terror officers
The West Midlands could lose nearly one in 10 of its counter-terror officers due to new funding cuts, a police chief has said.
Britain's most senior police officer, Sara Thornton,has announced counter-terrorism funding will be cut by 7.2 per cent by 2020.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, said: "I'm very concerned.
"These figures suggest nationally we could lose around 1,000 counter-terror police officers in just three years.
"In the West Midlands it could mean we lose nearly one in 10 of our 700 counter-terror officers.
"The government is failing in its duty to give the police the funding they need to protect the public.
"When the terrorism threat level was raised to critical recently, the truth is neighbourhood policing stopped across the country.
"There is not the capacity in policing to allow officers to respond to the terror threat, guard crowded places and provide neighbourhood policing at the same time.
"In the West Midlands it costs us £100,000 a day whilst at the critical terror threat level and for some days after. Officers doing longer shifts then need to be rested, meaning the return to normal neighbourhood policing duties can take up to a week."
