Police Officers From Cambridgeshire Could Be Drafted In To Cover 2012 Olympics

POLICE officers from Cambridgeshire are likely to be switched to London in 2012 to help the Met in the build up to the Olympic Games. Chief Constable Julie Spence will tell the police authority next week that the county is likely to lose officers, either

POLICE officers from Cambridgeshire are likely to be switched to London in 2012 to help the Met in the build up to the Olympic Games.

Chief Constable Julie Spence will tell the police authority next week that the county is likely to lose officers, either permanently or for defined periods, to the capital.

"It is also likely that additional policing of Cambridgeshire will be necessary at that time due to training camps and the numbers using Cambridgeshire roads at that time," she says.

"As yet this is an unknown quantity but the planning of the event is now underway and costs and risks will be factored in as they become known."

Ms Spence's report also focuses on other spending pressures facing the Cambs force including the costs of counter terrorism and organised crime groups.

"This area of work continues to grow and more resources are required to seek out the intelligence and then work to disrupt or eliminate the threat," she says. "Extra police resources may be needed to bridge any gaps that may arise both for Cambridgeshire and regionally."

Ms Spence said a Government directive for a sexual assault referral centre in every force's area is expected to add another �200,000 a year to costs.

She also feels the police will have less money to spend and income "is likely to be less certain in the tightening economic climate. We are expecting less income from investments over the coming years."

Ms Spence also predicts employers' contributions for police staff pensions "is predicted to rise over the next few years quite substantially" mainly as a result of falling investment returns.