Boris Johnson’s pledge to increase police numbers by 20,000 still won’t be enough to undo austerity cuts, warn senior officers

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Boris Johnson’s pledge to recruit 20,000 new police officers will fail to undo the damage caused by years of Conservative budget cuts, senior officers have warned. Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokesperson, said: “Police forces were already struggling to recruit enough officers before they were tasked with increasing numbers by 20,000. Police Federation chair John Apter told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that police were more vulnerable in many parts of our community, saying: “We can’t ignore the reality that there are almost 22,000 fewer police officers and many thousands fewer police staff than there were 10 years ago.” His comments came after an officer was attacked with a machete in London, and another officer was run over in Birmingham. “That’s not what policing wants or needs.” He said the demands handled by police forces had changed dramatically since 2010, amid rising cybercrime, fraud, historical offences and digital investigations.