Kent Green Party is opposed to planned cuts in the Police service in Kent. Stuart Jeffery, Chair of Kent Green Party, explains why:
“Kent Green Party supports Kent Police in opposing the 1500 job cuts they face in the County. We agree that this cannot be achieved without reductions in service, meaning more crime is likely.
“Some would argue that reduced overall crime figures justify cuts in police staffing. However, there are a number of areas of crime which continue to increase. The Police need specialist units to deal with trafficking, a form of crime which has never attracted the policing needed. Police should be involved in investigating and apprehending enterprise owners paying below the minimum wage. Existing police units dealing with domestic violence and rape should be expanded. It is also an unfortunate fact that increasing drinking is associated with increases in violent crime, including in the home.
“Is this all affordable? Yes, if the Government employs enough tax collectors. Over 30,000 tax collectors have been cut already and 15,000 more HM Revenue and Customs jobs are planned to go. HMRC admits it failed to collect £42 billion in taxes due in the year to April 2010. The main reason was lack of staff. We can reduce the Deficit and maintain essential services provided the Government commits itself to collect taxes on time and creates a fair taxation system.”
