Police services to the public will suffer as officers try to meet tough new crime targets, the West Yorkshire Police Federation has claimed.

On the day the county's Police Authority unveiled its policing plan for the new millennium, Roger Benn, chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation, warned that officers would be forced to ditch some services to meet stringent new targets.

He said: "Every resource is put into achieving these targets but it's the other things which don't have set targets which will suffer.

"I would suggest that the police authority might be lucky to get any reduction in crime levels if the number of police officers continues to be reduced.

"I'm not saying that these targets are unachievable. They will be achieved but at what cost?"

Mr Benn said the force was facing a staffing crisis because the authority had failed to recruit new officers due to budget restraints imposed by the Government.

He said the force had lost up to 300 officers during the last two years.

The plan, unveiled by police authority chairman Councillor Neil Taggart yesterday, pledges to cut the total number of recorded crimes in West Yorkshire by 5,660 - including cutting the numbers of domestic burglaries by 2,000 and the number of vehicle crimes by 3,517.

The budget for policing in West Yorkshire over the coming year has been set at almost £301.4 million, compared to £289 million in the previous year, an increase of 4.3 per cent.

The report also promises to maintain officer numbers during the coming year, provide financial backing for a replacement police helicopter and to work closer with other agencies.

Councillor Taggart said: "The plan seeks to direct police resources and services towards improving community safety so people can feel safe, both inside and outside their home.

"By driving down crime levels, arresting more of those who commit offences and striving to improve public confidence in the police, we will have responded to the needs of the local population."

Chief Constable Graham Moore said the force would be working hard to meet the tough targets set out in the plan.

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