Police spending cuts could hamper the fight against crime in England and Wales, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary has warned. The Chief Inspector said a "total redesign" of how officers work, such as shift patterns, could save 12%. He said further cuts would hit police availability "unless it was prioritised over everything else". The analysis of the future of policing comes in a joint report from the Chief Inspector, Sir Denis O'Connor, the Audit Commission (which covers England) and the Wales Audit Office – just as spending on policing faces a drop by a quarter in national debt-busting measures.
