Special's concern over 'thinning blue line'

Officer troubled by force cuts

A senior special constable has taken to social media to voice his concerns about ongoing cuts to the Island's police budget.

Chief officer of the Special Constabulary Dean Johnson commented publicly on an item posted by the Isle of Man Constabulary on its Facebook page (Jan 17).

It was in response to a member of the public who had noticed a lack of police presence on the streets of Douglas.

Mr Johnson said that it was "difficult to deploy more officers after a cut in numbers and budget."

He added "the mud needs to be slung at those politicians making such cuts, not the ever thinning blue line."

The Constabulary's budget has been cut since 2008.

In his last annual report, Chief Constable Gary Roberts said the cuts had led to the closure of two police stations, a reduction in the number of officers stationed outside Douglas, and fewer specialist officers.

Mr Johnson's comment has now been removed from the page.