POLICE in Bolton are to wear name badges on duty to improve “customer service”.

All of Greater Manchester Police’s 8,100 officers, along with 4,000 civilian staff, will be ordered to wear the tags, which will display their full name and rank.

Plain clothes detectives will not be exempt from wearing the badges but police working undercover, or officers wearing riot gear, will be allowed to take them off. The cost of issuing the badges to every officer and staff member has been put at £21,000.

Chief Constable Peter Fahy said: “By issuing police officers and staff with name badges, we will simply be bringing GMP in line with the many other forces who already use them.

“It’s part of our commitment to customer service and will make us more open and accountable.”

The Greater Manchester branch of the Police Federation, which represents 8,000 rank-and-file officers, has questioned whether the investment is appropriate as the force struggles with a £5 million budget shortfall and plans to axe 300 police posts and 150 civilian jobs.

The move has also been criticised by some Bolton staff as a waste of money in tough financial times.

One officer said: “At a time when we are losing staff, I think spending £21,000 on badges is a bit ridiculous.”

At the moment, officers are only publicly identified by a collar number.

Chris Burrows, the local chairman of the Police Federation, said the money could be better used by putting more officers on the streets.

He added: “We are already identifiable by the unique numbers we wear. Although this may be welcomed in different times, it is not appropriate at the moment.”

pkeaveny@theboltonnews.co.ukPOLICE in Bolton are to wear name badges on duty to improve “customer service”.

All of Greater Manchester Police’s 8,100 officers, along with 4,000 civilian staff, will be ordered to wear the tags, which will display their full name and rank.

Plain clothes detectives will not be exempt from wearing the badges but police working undercover, or officers wearing riot gear, will be allowed to take them off. The cost of issuing the badges to every officer and staff member has been put at £21,000.

Chief Constable Peter Fahy said: “By issuing police officers and staff with name badges, we will simply be bringing GMP in line with the many other forces who already use them.

“It’s part of our commitment to customer service and will make us more open and accountable.”

The Greater Manchester branch of the Police Federation, which represents 8,000 rank-and-file officers, has questioned whether the investment is appropriate as the force struggles with a £5 million budget shortfall and plans to axe 300 police posts and 150 civilian jobs.

The move has also been criticised by some Bolton staff as a waste of money in tough financial times.

One officer said: “At a time when we are losing staff, I think spending £21,000 on badges is a bit ridiculous.”

At the moment, officers are only publicly identified by a collar number.

Chris Burrows, the local chairman of the Police Federation, said the money could be better used by putting more officers on the streets.

He added: “We are already identifiable by the unique numbers we wear. Although this may be welcomed in different times, it is not appropriate at the moment.”

pkeaveny@theboltonnews.co.uk