Police 'to axe patrols on M4'
POLICING has been thrown into a cash crisis after South Wales Police Authority failed to agree a budget for the first time in 40 years.
Despite a majority of members voting for a 9.8 per cent increase in council tax precepts to pay for the force, the plan failed because local councillors sitting on the authority refused to support it.
Without the increase in funding, the police will withdraw patrols on the M4, and major public events, including sports, concerts and festivals, will be in jeopardy unless organisers stump-up the cash to pay for policing.
Chief Constable Barbara Wilding and the authority treasurer urged members at yesterday's meeting to be "brave" and to agree the increase — otherwise the force would face a financial blackhole and services would have to be cut.
It is understood that from April 6 the force will no longer mount routine patrols along the M4 from the border of the Gwent constabulary to its end at the Pont Abraham junction, though it will respond to accidents.
In England, highways agencies pay for motorway policing — something the chief constable said the Assembly had refused to do.
She called on Cardiff Bay to "own up to its responsibilities".
Authority members were presented with three options to consider ranging from a five per cent increase to a whopping 15 per cent.
Ten of the 16 members voted in favour of the 9.8 per cent increase, however the motion still wasn't passed — by law a minimum of six councillors have to agree for a precept level to be passed, but only two councillors voted for option two.
One of those was Morriston councillor Bob Lloyd. He said: "I don't want to put up council tax at all — nobody does — but going for option one will affect what the police can do.
"If option one is agreed, over this coming year we are going to see a deterioration of the service."
The three independent members for Swansea and Neath Port Talbot — Mike Lewis, Graham Bingham and Eddie Jones — all voted to accept the recommendation of the treasurer.
Mr Lewis said South Wales Police was the fourth busiest force in the country, and needed to be properly funded.
"I do not think the public of South Wales will thank us for saving them 13p a week if the level of service they receive suffers as a consequence," he said.
However, most of the councillors who sit on the authority went against the recommendation, and refused to accept the 9.8 per cent increase.
Among them was Neath Port Talbot leader Derek Vaughan.
He said: "These are difficult times for everyone. We are in the middle of a recession, and I do not think residents will find a 10 per cent increase acceptable.
"Local authorities are having to make cuts and efficiency savings to keep council tax rises down to a reasonable level.
"Times will change, we will come out of the recession, but now is the wrong time to be introducing large increases."
With the vote technically passed but unable to be accepted because of the lack of backing from councillors, the budget could not be passed for the first time since the force was established in 1969.
By law, the authority has until March 1 to reach an agreement.
Last year, the authority opted for a five per cent increase in precepts, meaning that a typical Band D house currently pays £139.38 for policing.
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by Chris, Bridgend
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 4:47PM
“Hi ask the CC how much it cost to keep the police club shut, how much they spend on furniture a year every time they move offices they get new desks and chairs in HQ.
if the want money that bad apply a charge to all the criminals (20quid to be paid before leaving the courts) because its them who are using the police force the most that way they can pay for the service and not the tax apyer
regards chris”
by Local bobby, Swansea
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 1:26PM
“Anon, Anon many thanks for your support. As a result of years of being put down, overworked, not seeing my children, having my days off cancelled, im moving to Austrialia like a considerable proportion of my collegues where the police are respected unlike the people who have written negative comments on here. See ya!”
by ANON, ANON
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 9:10AM
“I think perhaps people are laughing at rather than with you Heather.
To those criticising the local police, remember they come from the Swansea community and have a vested interest themselves in doing the job to the best of their abilities. Their hands are tied behind their backs by red tape and paperwork. To simply stop and search someone now is a minefield. If you want to blame someone ask yourself if you voted Labour in, and kept them in. Labour has undermined the police at every term with their special interest 'minority group' supporters. The police WANT to be out on the street fighting crime but thanks to Blair/Brown and their cronies they spend more time behind a desk.
Oh and if you wonder why they aren't keen to patrol your local area, ask yourself how much support you and your neighbours give the police. If I were a police officer, I wouldn't want to patrol an area where the local station is burnt out.”
by Anon, Swansea
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 11:31PM
“I am sorry to interrupt this debate with boring facts, but if anyone had taken the trouble to attend the police authority meeting this week they would have heard the following.
1. The council tax which goes towards policing in South Wales is currently £139 for a band D property. In North Wales it is £186, Dyfed Powys £165 & Gwent £167. This means the other welsh forces get considerably more per household than South Wales and is DIRECTLY because the police authority here have tried very hard to keep rises to a minimum over the years.
2. The problem with this now is that by applying a percentage increase to the council tax this gap will continue to grow and South Wales will continue to be disadvantaged.
3. The Home Office works out every year how much South Wales should get for policing - and then takes £2.3M away to subsidise the other welsh forces. EVERY YEAR. This means a shortfall of £15M has been passed onto the residents of South Wales by the Home Office - not the Chief Constable, not the councillors - the government.
4. Every year the Home Office insists SWP deliver improvements to computer systems and the like and no extra funding comes to help with this - so the burden MUST fall on the taxpayer or other services have to be cut.
5. It is understandable to focus on the sexy headline of 9.8% and none of us have had that type of rise in income. BUT, the actual cost to a typical resident is 2p a day. YES, TWO PENCE!!
It is also easy to have a go at the police but I for one am grateful that they come running (and generally they do) when we are in trouble and if that is not worth 50p a month I am not sure what is.”
by andrew davies, cwmafan
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 10:15PM
“what's the point of policing the M4 you don't police the afan valley i.e cwmafan, pontrydyfen, cymmer, abergwynfi need i go on we pay for a service and we not getting one, can we contact the office of fair trading for false advertising. ask yourself pc plod why we are angry with the service ?”
by Welsh Dragon, Swansea East
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 9:09PM
“I have always thought that SCC failed to give due care and attention to our money especially when awarding themselves increased expenses. If you share with others you have less yourself unless of course most of the family get a share too.who gives the most value for money money? councillors or police ? I know where my vote is.”
by B.S, Penllergaer
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 7:12PM
“I don't really see what the problem is here. As long as accidents are responded to quickly then there's nothing to worry about. Currently too much time and resources are being wasted policing trivial things like speeding on the motorway. Breaking the motorway speed limit is hardly posing a danger to anyone (unless you drive at 120 mph in the driving rain!) as obviously you don't have kids playing next to the road or cars parked on either side of the road & the risk of someone running out infront of you. The biggest danger is caused by those who potter along at 40 mph and cause you to break suddenly when not anticipating that anyone would be going at such a stupidly slow speed.”
by John, Neath
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 6:34PM
“Clearly, the police are not going to stop patrolling the M4, or stop clearing up after accidents. This is just a ruse devised by the chief constable in order to get the money that she wants. She must think that this tactic is going to work.
Can't any of you see it for what it is? Just nonsense.”
by Christopher, Neath
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 6:32PM
“What patrols? It's very rare to see any police doing any patrols nowadays!”
by pm, swansea
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 6:12PM
“there was already talk of using civillian officers on the m4 just like they do in other parts of the country so the police will stop patrols on the m4 anyway!”