- Title: After London attack, May faces election heat over police cuts
- Date: 5th June 2017
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 5, 2017) (REUTERS) LONDON'S SKYLINE WITH ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL IN BACKGROUND AND BOAT SAILING BY ON THAMES RIVER CITY OF LONDON SKYLINE PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS MILLENNIUM BRIDGE, LONDON'S SKYLINE ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC DRIVING ACROSS WATERLOO BRIDGE BRITISH FLAGS AT HALF-MAST ON SHELL MEX HOUSE BUILDING BARRIERS SEPARATING CAR LANES AND PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY ON WATERLOO BRIDGE, PEOPLE WALKING BUSES DRIVING PAST BARRIERS VARIOUS BARRIER ON SIDE OF ROAD, PEOPLE WALKING VARIOUS PEOPLE CROSSING BRIDGE BUSES DRIVING PAST (SOUNDBITE) (English) LONDONER, DAVID, SAYING: "Walking alongside this (barrier) makes me feel safer, absolutely. But I appreciate they can't be everywhere and it is just about keeping your wits about you really and going about your daily business." WOMAN WALKING ON SIDE OF ROAD WITHOUT BARRIERS WOMAN WALKING WITH BABY IN PRAM ON SIDE OF ROAD WITH NO BARRIERS VARIOUS TRAFFIC DRIVING / BARRIERS / PEOPLE WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH COUPLE FROM BIRMINGHAM, CAROL AND SEAN, SAYING: CAROL: "They do actually (make me feel safer), I think. I noticed them and I thought yes they do make you feel a bit safer, they make you feel as though there is some protection." SEAN: "Not particularly. I think if someone is going to attack you, then they will find a way of doing it. I think it's quite interesting, I think they've done it on one side of the road and not the other. So, it gives people the option I suppose." BUS DRIVING PAST POLICE BOAT ON THAMES RIVER TOURISTS NEAR LONDON EYE, WESTMINSTER BRIDGE IN BACKGROUND WESTMINSTER BRIDGE PEOPLE WALKING PAST CONCRETE BARRIERS ON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE VARIOUS TRAFFIC DRIVING ACROSS WESTMINSTER BRIDGE / PEOPLE WALKING RUNNERS RUNNING BY BARRIERS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS BRIDGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN WOMAN FROM NEAR SYDNEY, KAREN, WHEN ASKED IF SHE WAS SCARED TO COME TO LONDON, SAYING: "No, no, you can't. You have got to do it. It is life. Life goes on, sadly. You can't allow people to stop you from travelling, doing what you want to do. Yes, you are wary. Always wary. Yes, a little bit cringe-worthy walking over here. But you have got to do it. You have got to think about those that aren't here anymore." FLOWERS ON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE IN MEMORY OF MARCH ATTACK VICTIMS, PEOPLE PASSING MAN LOOKING AT FLOWERS POLICE AT SCENE OF LONDON BRIDGE ATTACK (SOUNDBITE) (English) VICE CHAIR OF THE POLICE FEDERATION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES, CALUM MACLEOD, SAYING: "Certainly the government of the day, or consecutive governments, have made decisions in relation to the policing budgets. What we are saying is that, as an organization, this has to be overturned. This has to be reversed. There has to be proper investment in policing - not because we are saying it, but because the public need it. The public need a service that is fit for purpose, that can protect them in the event of emergencies." MACLEOD GIVING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) VICE CHAIR OF THE POLICE FEDERATION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES, CALUM MACLEOD, SAYING: "Since 2010 we have obviously been under a period of sustained cuts to policing budgets. We have lost 21,500 officers in that time. That has had an impact in relation to service delivery, an impact in relation to the safety of the public. We have also seen the reduction in about 1,200 firearms officers in that time. That is important, especially when you look across Europe, if you look within what is happening on our own shores at this time. We need the capability to defend the public, protect the public and preserve law and order." VARIOUS OF POLICE AT SCENE (SOUNDBITE) (English) VICE CHAIR OF THE POLICE FEDERATION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES, CALUM MACLEOD, SAYING: "I can't comment on whether they (police cuts) are to blame specifically for this (incident). What we need to see is a police service that is fit for public, fit for the members of the public that require it and when they require it. There needs to be a response, an appropriate response. What you have seen the other night was bravery of the highest order, where police officers, unarmed, are running to confront those who are armed with weapons, deadly weapons, and are injured as a result. Police officers are trying their best for the public in this country. We will continue to do that but we need proper resourcing to ensure that we can provide the proper service to the public when they need it." VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS STANDING NEXT TO VAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) VICE CHAIR OF THE POLICE FEDERATION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES, CALUM MACLEOD, SAYING: "No, there has been no increase in terms of officers on the street. What I would say is - I can't comment on what the prime minister is saying at this moment in time - we have the same amount of officers that we had last week within England and Wales. There are those who are on rest days that are probably having rest days cancelled, tours of duty extended. What we are saying is there needs to be a wider uplift in policing numbers." GRAFFITI AT SOUTH BANK SKATE PARK GRAFFITI SUPPORTING MANCHESTER IN WAKE OF ATTACKS VARIOUS OF GRAFFITI OF BEE, SYMBOL OF MANCHESTER
- Embargoed: 19th June 2017 16:59
- Keywords: Theresa May police reductions police cutbacks London attack
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA0016K0583R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:As Londoners returned to work on Monday (June 5), two days after the attack in London Bridge left at least seven people dead, they were greeted by the sight of concrete security barriers set up on many of the bridges crossing the city's iconic river Thames.
With the issue of security now dominating Britain's election campaign, there has been increasing pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May over her security record with her main opponent, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, backing calls for her resignation over the police cuts.
May did not answer repeated questions on reduction in the number of police officers in England and Wales by almost 20,000 during her six years as interior minister from 2010 to 2016, but said counter-terrorism budgets had been protected and police had the powers they needed.
Calum Macleod, the vice chair of the Police Federation for England and Wales, criticised the police cuts and called for greater numbers of police, armed and unarmed, on Britain's streets. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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