Blears blamed for 'demise of British Bobby'

UNDER FIRE: Blears.

A LEADING Greater Manchester policeman has mounted an astonishing attack on Labour Party chairwoman Hazel Blears, saying she and the government are on the verge of destroying the British Bobby.

Paul Kelly, chairman of the Greater Manchester Police Federation, which represents the interests of lower ranking officers, mounted the attack in a piece about police community support officers in the federation magazine Manchat.

He also blasts the Salford MP and former police minister, branding her attitude to her responsibilities to the people of Greater Manchester "indefensible". < src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/adj/men/news;!category=housead;tile=3;sz=300x250;ord=13224344?" =text/> < src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/879366/flashwrite_1_2.js"> dcmaxversion = 9 dcminversion = 6 Do On Error Resume Next plugin = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & dcmaxversion & ""))) If plugin = true Then Exit Do dcmaxversion = dcmaxversion - 1 Loop While dcmaxversion >= dcminversion < = src="http://amch.questionmarket.com/adscgen/st.php?survey_num=237282&site=13209492&code=16377953&randnum=1275411">

Controversy about the role of police community support officers has raged nationally since they were introduced by the government.

Feeling is particularly high locally, as in Greater Manchester police have been given strictly ring-fenced money from the government to pay for them -while at the same time having to cut more than 200 regular police officer posts because of a budget shortfall.

Mr Kelly said: "I never thought I would see it in my service, but this government is now well on its way to destroying probably one of the most positive and respected national icons - the British Bobby. The office of police constable is the envy of the world. We are the oldest, and, indeed, the finest, law enforcement body.

ATTACK: Paul Kelly.

'Hell-bent'

"However, this government is hell-bent on replacing the bobby on the beat with the civilian in the community.

"A major advocate for the change is Hazel Blears, who has now left the Home Office and moved on, leaving behind an insidious cancer that is already eating away at police numbers in Manchester."

Mr Kelly added: "She still claims that the PCSO project is feasible and effective, even when faced with their own independent evaluation on the effectiveness of PCSOs that stated they had no measurable effect on levels of crime or instances of anti-social behaviour.

"All of the above is in no way a criticism of the fine women and men who chose to be PCSOs."

Ms Blears, speaking as chair of the Labour Party, said: "Community support officers have been a great success. They are popular, they put a uniformed presence on the streets, and they're here to stay."

Personally I think he has a point - but it's not just Blear's it's the whole lot of 'em; Blears simply helped drive through the government agenda.  All the same, thankfully she's gone now to be an expert in something else that no doubt that she has had no previous knowledge or experience of.  She remains a incredibly irrating, self important individual though and the further away she is from the Police service, the better...