Thurrock News
Councillors' war of words over police cuts
11:35am Wednesday 22nd February 2012
LABOUR and Conservative councillors have engaged in a slanging match over party support for the police.
The row kicked off after Tory councillor James Halden said he was surprised Labour’s representative on Essex Police Authority, Gerard Rice, had backed an above inflation rise in the force’s council tax precept.
Cllr Halden said: “In 2011 Conservative Councillors successfully blocked Labour’s disgraceful attempt to cut the number of Community Police in Thurrock, yet in 2012 cllr Gerard Rice claims that Essex police need more resources.
“These are two very contradictory positions, and one must either assume that cllr Rice has realised how much his party erred last year, in which case I would welcome his change of heart, or else he is simply trying to face two different directions at once.”
Fellow Tory Danny Nicklen, the group’s spokesman for public protection, accused Labour of “airbrushing”.
He said: “In 2011 Thurrock Labour left local residents in no doubt that they are soft on law and order, and no amount of airbrushing will change that.”
Labour council leader John Kent said the Conservatives were just trying to create a “smokescreen” in the face of Government cuts.
He said: “Cllr Halden is wrong. It was Labour in Thurrock who agreed to part fund 14 PCSOs in the borough and guaranteed that last year’s budget would not have seen a reduction in the number of PCSOs on our streets.
“This is nothing more than a smokescreen to try and deflect the blame for the damage the government’s £42 million cut to the budget of Essex Police.
“The cuts imposed by this government have already led to the closure of Corringham Police Station and the reduction of opening hours at Tilbury and Grays.
“On top of that Essex Police has announced it will lose 388, or one in 10, of its front-line officers, around 600 support and office staff and 100 police community support officers.
“Against that backdrop a small increase in the police precept, to prevent further damage – just 8p a week for a band D property, is justified.”
Cllr Kent also took a swipe at Danny Nicklen.
He said: “I do, however, welcome the intervention of Cllr Nicklen as the Conservative spokesman on Public Protection.
“Many of us have been wondering where he is.
“As one of Thurrock’s two representatives on the Essex Fire Authority he has managed to attend only one meeting since being appointed in May, although, I understand, he is still happy to take the money that goes along with the role.”