Police cars without sirens are 'risking lives', say officers - Telegraph.co.uk
West Midlands Police, the second-largest force in England and Wales with more than 7,000 officers, purchased a fleet of 109 Corsas – to replace more expensive Vauxhall Astras – which were intended for non-urgent inquiries. However, the force’s Police Federation branch, which represents rank-and-file officers, said the cars are increasingly being used to attend incidents that require a rapid reaction. Tom Cuddeford, of the West Midlands Police Federation, said: “The Corsa is being utilised in response to emergency calls. To the public they look like a normal police car because they have police livery but, believe me, they’re anything but. Last month it emerged that Leicestershire police had introduced a pilot scheme which saw burglaries at odd-numbered homes not fully investigated as part of a money-saving scheme. And earlier in the summer Sara Thornton, the head of the National Police Chiefs Council, warned that officers may not always attend reported burglaries as austerity cuts lead chief constables to make difficult choices about priorities. West Midlands Police Federation said it had compiled more than 100 reports in the past year of officers attending urgent matters in the controversial Corsa hatchbacks. Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
