THE number of officers employed by South Yorkshire Police has fallen by 59 in the last year.
New figures show officer numbers fell from 2,834 in September 2011 to 2,775 in September last year – a drop of 2.1 per cent.
Also down was the number of civilian staff, which went from 1,982 in 2011 to 1,919 in 2012.
However, there was a rise in the number of Police Community Support Officers, up by three from 298 to 301.
The Special Constabulary also saw a small fall in the number of volunteers. It has lost four officers, falling from 266 to 262.
The figures were released by the Home Office yesterday.
Nationally, the number of police officers fell by 4,001 – to an 11-year low of 131,837.
Policing Minister Damian Green said police reforms were working, crime was down and public confidence was up.
But Labour’s Yvette Cooper said cuts were making it harder for officers to “catch criminals and deliver justice”.
The news comes amid a series of government reforms to policing, which have included 20 per cent budget cuts and a £4,000 pay cut for new starters.
Comments