Although his candidates in Reading and across the country have been hyping up the crime figures, and condemned by the Office for National Statistics for misusing the data, David Cameron could not deny Gordon Brown's charge in the debate on Thursday that a Conservative Government would actually see a reduction in police numbers, says Naz Sarkar, Labour candidate for Reading West.
"Increased police numbers under Labour, and the introduction of neighbourhood policing, have seen crime falling," he says, "here in Reading by a quarter over the last five years. Tory plans to make 'savings' in the police could only put that into reverse - and we know they mean it because while here in Thames Valley there will be even more police on the streets of Reading this year, in London the Tory Mayor is slashing his force by 455 officers!"
And, he adds: "When Gordon challenged him about this, David Cameron went off on one about Hull police being about to waste money on a new Lexus. However, Channel 4 News has discovered Mr Cameron wasn't in Hull 'the other day' as he said but eight months ago, Hull police aren't about to buy a Lexus - they already have one, the car didn't cost £73,000 but £50,000, and it performs a key role in their Roads Crimes unit. We really can't be having with a potential Prime Minister not just willing to cut police numbers but also rubbishing a police force and getting his facts so badly wrong!
"Or with a potential Prime Minister whose plans to subject the police to political control are fiercely opposed by every police chief in the country, including our Chief Constable Sarah Thornton, as liable to reduce public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the police. On law and order, David Cameron has really lost it."
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