 THE number of traffic police patrolling the streets of Merseyside has been cut by almost half over the past six years, the Daily Post can reveal. The Police Federation warned last night that reducing the number of traffic officers from 220 to 120 was encouraging motorists to drive recklessly. A hundred officers have been redeployed into neighbourhoods as part of Chief Constable Norman Bettison's drive to get more uniformed police on the beat. Police Federation secretary Ian Leyland said: "The reduction of traffic policing is having a negative impact on driving behaviour. It's a massive, massive reduction. "There is an awful lot of criminal behaviour on our roads. I am talking about undertaking, jumping red lights and speeding. You probably see it every day on your way home. "Traffic work does bring officers into confrontation with members of the public. It is not very popular, but it is vital." He believes that speed cameras, calming measures and trial technology such as the alco-lock - a device which stops a car from being started until a driver has completed a breath test - will only work alongside traffic police in patrol cars. "We are not saying cameras do not have a role - they do.. But what you see is that motorists slow down for the camera and then speed up again. "Road traffic officers can set up cameras where there is a particular problem and have a mobile check." Mr Bettison, (pictured) , says cutting traffic police is part of the dilemma of having limited resources. He told the Daily Post: "People have told me that what they want to see is more bobbies on foot patrol. "I did strip people out from road traffic and other departments to build the neighbourhood policing model. Unfortunately, you can not have the ha'penny and the toffee. "I have always tried to maintain a balance and I look to the road death figures and they do not lie. "In the six years I have been here, they have been going down. We are targeting our specialist officers much more in hot-spot areas." The Police Federation's call for more traffic police last night won the support of the AA in the North West. Spokeswoman Claire Price said: "Speed cameras can tackle speeding to an extent but the more you take officers off the roads the worse the behaviour of drivers." Pauline Fielding, of campaign group Road Peace, whose son Andrew, 18, died in a collision in Cheshire ten years ago, said: "I think the work of the road traffic police is of the utmost importance. They need to be restored to their former number and I feel very strongly that their work is not recognised enough." | 
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