Lib Dems call for fair deal for the police

12.00.00am GMT Mon 11th Dec 2006

The Liberal Democrats will be demanding at Council on Tuesday that Milton Keynes' MPs lobby the Home Office to get a fair deal for the people of Milton Keynes. In a recent survey by Milton Keynes Council "crime" came top of the concerns of residents yet the Home Office are forcing Thames Valley make cuts to the service.

Cabinet member for Finance, Cllr. Sam Crooks, said: "On the one hand Thames Valley Police Authority are expected to increase their expenditure to deliver key objectives whilst with the other hand they have to cut expenditure to avoid being capped. What are they supposed to do?

"This is yet another case of Milton Keynes not the getting money we deserve for our growing population". Sam Crooks continued: "In Milton Keynes we are adding a new town of 25,000 every 5 years. If we were really a new town we would get some money but, because we already exist, we are just not getting the money to cover the additional population".

This year has been particularly difficult due to Operation Overt - the Home Office should reimburse the Police Authority not expect the Basic Command Unit to make cuts say the Lib Dems.