DOZENS of long-serving police officers are facing enforced retirement from Suffolk Constabulary as part of drastic cost-cutting measures.

The implementation of the much-despised Regulation A19, allowing compulsory retirement of personnel upon 30 years’ service, still has to be ratified. However, the officers have already been told they will be going.

The constabulary will reluctantly bring in A19 for ranks from constable to superintendent, meaning they are effectively on six months’ notice. Some of those involved are in key posts within the force.

Constabularies throughout England and Wales are in the same position, which is driven by the Government’s massive funding cuts.

One Suffolk officer, who did not want to be named, said: “I know a lot of people are very angry and feel let down by this.”

Matt Gould, chairman of Suffolk Police Federation, said: “These are not form-filling back office workers. They are officers who would have answered calls for emergency service, and have worked on the most serious crimes investigated in Suffolk.

“Reducing officer numbers, at a time when we are sending our officers to London and Birmingham to quell civil unrest, is hard to understand. We are also anticipating the largest-ever draw on our resources for the Olympics next year, and so we would argue for more not fewer officers.

“These cuts are being made to meet Government targets, not because we can afford to make them.

“The legal position is that the force can require officers to leave once they have achieved 30 pensionable years’ service.

“This means we are losing officers as young as 48-and-a-half years old.

“These officers are very often at the height of their careers and training, with irreplaceable experience. They cannot be easily replaced.

“The plain fact is that, were it not for this Government refusing to listen to its own informed advisors, we would not be forcing these officers to go.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “The vast majority of our budget – approximately 80% – is spent on pay. This means we will need to re-design our organisation so that it continues to offer a quality policing service to local people, but with fewer people.

“The authority will be asked at its meeting on September 9 to endorse the implementation of Regulation A19 for up to 30 officers, between the ranks of superintendent and constable, from March 31, 2012.”

colin.adwent@eadt.co.uk