There is actually a serious point behind this. Policing is by its very nature an inherently unpredictable activity. Something always comes along to test & stretch the service. G8, NATO, olympics, riots, commonwealth games, terrorism, disasters, referenda, US presidents, brexit .. https://twitter.com/caluma_steele/status/1314604319573004294

You name it and the polis will be there. There is not a skull who understands the nature of police demand who honestly believes we can shed police numbers to balance a spreadsheet. Despite this there is a huge bureaucracy expending astonishing time, money, & effort ..

Going through a phoney exercise to cut police numbers to deliver something that only bean counters could ever justify.

And yet when the proverbial hits the fan it’s always “extra police” will be here there and everywhere.

In reality it means fewer police will be elsewhere.

But as long as we all pretend things are in the long term plan to actually deliver what no one believes will actually be delivered, we can satisfy the machinery (albeit momentarily) that things are on track for just long enough for those watching to lose interest.