Clive Bull Takes Police Commissioner To Task Over Officer Numbers

18 August 2019, 08:29 | Updated: 18 August 2019, 13:39

Clive Bull grilled this Deputy Police & Crime Commissioner on why his officers are being expected to do much more with fewer resources.

He spoke to Matthew Barber, the Deputy PCC for Thames Valley, the area in which PC Andrew Harper was killed on Thursday night.

And Clive really drilled down on how Mr Barber's police force is struggling to cope at the moment.

Mr Barber said: "We certainly have seen a reduction in numbers, but something I don't think we talk about enough is the rise in demand for police services.

"That's not just about rising crime, but the fact the police are expected to do more now than they have been in the past."

Clive pointed out: "Yes, with less."

And Mr Barber agreed: "Yes, with less. But still historically relatively high numbers."

So Clive told him: "Well that just makes the cuts even worse, doesn't it?"

It's brilliant questioning of a man in charge of one of the country's police forces. Watch it at the top of the page.