Police cuts will make an Isis attack in UK easier, former Scotland Yard chief warns

Last Updated: November 19, 2015By

Emergency workers are on the scene during an exercise at Bank underground station in 2003. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

The government’s planned large budget cuts to the police in the UK will make it easier for Islamic State to stage a terrorist attack, Britain’s former head of counter-terrorism has warned.

Former Scotland Yard chief Robert Quick told the Guardian that the supply of intelligence from communities that identifies suspects and stops violent extremists inflicting carnage also risks being choked off.

“It will make Britain more vulnerable to terrorism. It will damage the police’s ability to counter terrorism if neighbourhood policing is cut. It will lead to a loss of intelligence, a loss of confidence and trust,” Quick said.

As Scotland Yard’s Assistant Commissioner, Quick was head of counter-terrorism for the UK from 2008 to 2009.

His comments came as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called for cuts to the police budget to be limited to 5%, with police chiefs braced for the Conservatives to inflict cuts of at least 25%.

Since the Paris atrocities police chiefs have intensified their lobbying over the planned cuts, arguing that they would lead to a large loss of community officers, and the intelligence they generate from the public.

Read more: Police cuts will make an Isis attack in UK easier, former Scotland Yard chief warns | UK news | The Guardian

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5 Comments

  1. ian725 November 19, 2015 at 1:57 am - Reply

    Majority of the Public KNOW that police Cuts are detrimental to Public Safety …. but then so does Cameron and his Cronies…… He/They just do not care about the general public, they are distanced , believe themselves detached and so general strife will not affect their sheltered lives.

  2. John Ingleson November 19, 2015 at 4:38 am - Reply

    ‘All part of the ‘shock’ tactics being used to usher in the New World Order (….out of chaos). The ‘Elites’ are ordering more attacks from their shock troops whilst reducing domestic security.

    Wake up people! Naomi Klein had it sussed some time ago (2007), in her book, “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism”.
    https://youtu.be/550p455dfM4?list=PL1DE69769369B7089

  3. Daniel Margrain November 19, 2015 at 4:46 am - Reply

    I have it reliably on record from an anonymous American source who works quite high up within the US Department of the Interior that within his circle it is well understood that the deaths of American citizens as a result of terrorism in the short-medium term is regarded as ‘a price worth paying’ as the means of satisfying longer term government geo-strategic objectives.

    He said that the protection of the American public was not a government priority. I, myself, have long ago thought that governments’ must be aware that their bombs are counterproductive which in turn made me think why on earth would they continue with the policy?

    The information I received from my source, would seem to suggest that the said policy is therefore consistent with the cut backs to front line security staff in the United States. I can’t speak definitively about UK policy in this area, but I would hazard a guess that the policies are similar. This is, in part, the topic of my next article.

  4. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) November 19, 2015 at 9:06 am - Reply

    Of course the greatest cuts will be in the areas where MPs live!

    • david November 19, 2015 at 9:10 pm - Reply

      True I hear Buck House and Downing St will have 1 PCSO each and that will be just 9-5 Mon-Friday

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