'Prison reform and justice is at risk without money'

GREATER Manchester Police’s chief constable says reform and justice for victims will be at risk if the government does not act after 'decades of underinvestment'.

- BY HELENA VESTY

Chief Constable Stephen Watson joined with six of the country's policing bosses to say more funding is desperately needed to meet the government's election pledges to cut crime.

The plea for funding comes ahead of next month's spending review.

The message comes after 'the emergency release of people from the prison system, and recommendations in the sentencing review last week to deal with more offenders in the community.

That will lead to 'more pressure on policing as we will inevitably be drawn into the control of criminals who would previously have been in prison', say the nation's policing leaders.

The six chiefs came together in a comment piece published by the Times, written by Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police; Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, the chair of the NPCC; Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, Merseyside Police; Chief Constable Craig Guildford, West Midlands Police; Chief Constable John Robins, West Yorkshire Police; and Chief Constable Stephen Watson, Greater Manchester Police.