The government is not listening to police officers, the Police Federation's chair says

The organisation is to receive the Home Secretary at its conference today

Police officers (Getty)

The Government is not listening to police officers and should begin to do so, the chair of the Police Federation has said.

Steve White argued that a recent fall in crime was “despite” government policy, not because of it.

“It’s time for the Government to listen to what we have to say; it’s time for the Government to appreciate the hard work that the police officers have done,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“In relation to the fall in crime and the way that we have responded, it’s not because of government policy, it’s despite government policy and it’s because of the hard work of the cops in this country.”

The police staff association is due to receive the Home Secretary Theresa May at a speech to its conference later today.

Mr White's warning suggests Ms May could be in for a rough ride.

Last year Ms May used her address to criticise the police and told the association to reform itself. She received a mixed reception from officers.

The federation will today use its contact with the Home Secretary to warn that patrolling police officers have become an “endangered species”.

It will note that three-quarters of forces in England and Wales have cut back or merged their neighbourhood patrol teams as a result of austerity cuts.

Mr White is set to tell the conference in his own speech that neighbourhood officers are “down to the bone”.

The government says the decision on how to deploy officers is down to local chief constables.