LABOUR CO-OP LEAD FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY, Councillor Warren Morgan, has today joined fresh calls on the Government to rethink their decisions to cut Police numbers in Sussex.

The warning follows extensive rioting across the country, which also saw Sussex Police sent to London to help quell the chaos. Although Brighton & Hove itself saw no rioting, this is partly due to the hard-work, tactics and presence of Police in response to the London riots.

However, despite hard work from Police officers, the Prime Minister still seems intent on slashing police numbers in Sussex, which will see 500 Police officers and 500 Police staff cut over the next four years. Moreover, Sussex Police are losing more police officers and money than neighbouring forces under Government cuts.

Brighton & Hove Labour & Co-operative Deputy Leader & Community Safety Spokesperson, Councillor Warren Morgan, said:

“I utterly condemn the criminal acts of violence and theft which have only served to harm communities across the country in recent days. Our Police forces have been exceptional over the past few days in responding to the growing civil unrest and thankfully, down in part to the hard work of Sussex Police, we have seen no copycat violence here in Brighton & Hove.”

“I have been calling for the Tory-led Government to cut crime, not Police ever since they first announced their plans to slash 500 Police officers and 500 Police staff in Sussex, which are larger cuts than any of our neighbouring Police forces.”

“I therefore join new calls for the Prime Minister to rethink these cuts at such a vulnerable time. If Mr Cameron thinks he can cut Police budgets while demanding more Officers on the streets and more Police behind computers monitoring Twitter, then he is severely misguided to say the least.”

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Since 1997, Under Labour:

 Crime fell by 43%;

 The chances of being a victim was at its lowest since records began in 1981;

 for the period as a whole from 1979 to 1997 crime doubled under the Tories