LABOUR & CO-OP Community Safety Lead, Councillor Warren Morgan raised concerns at a recent Community Safety Forum, following Sir Hugh Orde’s revealing comments earlier this week, blaming the Tory-led Government for an “underfunded” Police service.

The President of the Association of Chief Police Officers comments came in light of new cuts to Police funding- further to Sussex Police losing 500 Police Officers and 500 Police staff due to 20% government cuts over the next four years.

Councillor Morgan has previously echoed similar concerns regarding Police Cuts and as well as the high cost of introducing Directly Elected Police commissioners, which was also highlighted yesterday by Sir Hugh Orde as being too unclear and representing a threat to “the impartial model of policing that has existed for 180 years and is revered across the western world.”

It was agreed at the Community Safety Forum that Councillor Morgan’s concerns would be raised at the next Sussex Police Authority meeting.

Brighton & Hove Labour & Co-operative Community Safety Lead, Councillor Warren Morgan, said:

“There are clearly serious concerns for both the funding and control of policing in Brighton and Hove in what the head of Britain’s police chiefs says. Not only is the Conservative-led government making cuts, there are new revelations that they are hiding further financial pressures on local Police, by shifting costs from the Home Office.

“Sir Hugh Orde’s warning about “operational independence” should set alarm bells ringing about the mixing of politics and policing in the Government’s proposed elections for police commissioners, costing £140million, in ten months time.”