Govt must safeguard traffic cop roles, says Brake
Govt must safeguard traffic cop roles, says Brake
Cuts to road policing budgets present a risk to the public, according to a charity group.
Brake claims that the number of police officers monitoring the safety of Britain's road network has fallen by 11.6 per cent in the last five years.
These cuts are six times greater than the overall reduction in police force sizes (1.8 per cent) over the same period.
The reduction has been especially hard felt in Wales, where traffic police numbers have fallen by 37 per cent since 2007.
Brake is now calling on the government and police to provide more resources to make sure motorists are safer on the roads.
Julie Townsend, Brake's deputy chief executive, says these officers perform life-saving tasks, and safeguarding these roles need to be made a priority.
"Investing in roads policing, and stepping up critical checks like breath-testing, helps stop crashes before they happen, meaning less families suffering and reduced costs to the taxpayer," he said.