Traffic cops slashed by 30% in the last decade leaving UK roads at the mercy of reckless drivers
TRAFFIC officers patrolling UK roads have dropped by almost a third in the last decade amid "savage cuts".
It's left reckless drivers free to chat on mobile phones, tailgate, drink-drive and speed with little fear of punishment, experts warned.
The results of an investigation by the Press Association show the road cop cull has accelerated in the past five years.
Numbers fell by 24 per cent from 2012 and in total it's down by 30 per cent since 2007.
A decade ago there were 3,766 traffic officers in the forces which responded. In 2012 that figure stood at 3,472. By 2017 it had dropped to 2,643.
The AA said the decline could see more drivers getting away with crimes. A spokesman said: "We need more cops in cars, not fewer.
"The UK has among the safest roads in Europe, although the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads has started to rise after many years of steady decline. Maybe there is a link?"
In total, 30 forces released figures. Of the rest, 11 did not hold data for the full 10 years and three had merged traffic into tri-force operations.
Merseyside was the only force which failed to send the figures to PA.
Gwent saw the biggest drop, from 94 traffic officers in 2007 to none now and said it had amalgamated traffic officers into "multi-skilled roles".
Northamptonshire dropped 83 per cent with nine dedicated officers currently compared with 52 in 2007 - it claimed it had "regionalised" its road traffic officers.
Greater Manchester Police traffic officer numbers dropped 69 per cent in the past 10 years (241 to 75), Nottinghamshire's fell 56 per cent (138 to 61), while the West Midlands cut numbers by half from 384 in 2007 (the most outside London) to 186 officers today.
Forces that have cut traffic cops the most (2007-2017)
- Gwent (down 100%)
- Northamptonshire (down 83%)
- Greater Manchester (down 69%)
- Nottinghamshire (down 56%)
- West Midlands (down 52%)
- Lincolnshire (down 50%)
- Derbyshire (down 49%)
- Leicestershire (down 48%)
- City of London (down 48%)
- Bedfordshire (down 42%)
Hertfordshire, Northumbria, West Mercia, Surrey and Sussex were the only forces to increase numbers.
Labour's shadow minister for policing and crime Louise Haigh, a former special constable, said: "These savage cuts will deeply alarm the public as reckless drivers will feel able to offend with impunity.
"There have been a number of new driving offences in the last few years, not least relating to phones and the new offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
"The police don't stand a cat in hell's chance of pursuing and convicting people under these offences with ever-constrained resources."
Responding to the figures, the Home Office said effective road policing is not just dependent on dedicated traffic officers, while the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) pointed out that all officers were able to help traffic specialists.
West Mercia Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, who speaks on roads policing for the NPCC, said: "Individual police forces decide how best to allocate resources and keep their communities safe.
"Some may choose to reduce the numbers of specialist traffic officers, but this does not mean that their roads are not adequately policed.
"They can deploy a range of resources, including ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) technology, targeted patrols using unmarked vans, high vantage points and helmet cams to catch offenders.
"All police officers are available to help those who are traffic policing specialists."
The Home Office said deployment of resources was a matter for chief constables and crime commissioners, who "understand their operational needs better than anyone".
A spokesman said: "The government has protected overall police spending in real terms since the Spending Review 2015 and we will always ensure forces have the resources they need to do their vitally important work.
"Effective roads policing is not necessarily dependent on dedicated road traffic officers: the use of technology, other police personnel and local communities also have a role to play."
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But Jayne Willetts, who speaks on roads policing for the Police Federation of England of Wales, which represents rank and file officers, said cuts meant specialist roads policing officers now face added demands.
"They are having to attend calls for help from the public in addition to patrolling the road network to target travelling criminality."
She added: "The introduction and use of new technology is welcome but the visibility of the police cannot be overstated as a deterrent and a reassurance to the public.
"Unfortunately the thin blue line is becoming too thin."