Police Federation Accuses UK Government of 'Prioritizing Potholes' Over Crime

UK Chancellor Philip Hammond presented the government’s 2018 autumn budget to parliament on Monday, claiming an end to austerity in Britain, though opposition politicians and critics weren’t convinced.

The Police Federation has accused the British government of 'prioritizing potholes' over the fight against crime in its latest budget, with the chancellor announcing £420 million (around $535 million at the current GBP/USD exchange rate) of funding to fill potholes, while allocating just £160 million ($200 million) in additional funding for counterterrorism policing.

Meanwhile, other, more conventional police units were not granted any additional funds by the Treasury, though Hammond said he would raise the issue of surging crime in Britain with the Home Office.

The association represents over 100,000 police officers across England and Wales’ 43 forces and described the budget allocation as an example of the government treating the police with “contempt.”

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Reacting to the controversial budget on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Neil Bas said, “While this funding increase allows us to continue these vitally important projects, I still believe we need to rethink how we fund our world-class counterterrorism network.”

Countless experts and police officials have attributed the rise in crime, in part at least, to the government’s crippling budget cuts, urging Westminster to immediately free up more funds for proactive policing.

Cressida Dick, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), recently said it would be “naive” to think the austerity measures haven’t hindered police in their fight against crime, echoing concerns from the Labour Party and beyond.

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