The Police Federation is warning that cuts on this scale could lead to an increase in crime.
Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert has called on them to avoid scaremongering. But the union said such a staffing reduction would make policing as it is now "unsustainable".
The Police Federation is warning that cuts on this scale could lead to an increase in crime. Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert has called on them to avoid scaremongering.
But the union said such a staffing reduction would make policing as it is now "unsustainable".
The cut to the police budget in England and Wales is generally expected to total 25% - in line with other government cutbacks - but the exact level will not be known until the current spending review is published in October.
Two weeks ago the Scottish Police Federation predicted that budget cuts north of the border would lead to a loss of 2,800 posts.
Mr Herbert told the BBC that the Police Federation was simply speculating at this stage.
We do have to be careful not to make assumptions and then to follow on from that with suggestions that may unnecessarily alarm the public," he said.
"Very large sums of money are still going to be made available to policing.
"Of course there will have to be savings, we have been quite clear about that."
He added that while police forces will have to find their share of savings, the government believed they could be found, "particularly in regard to police forces working more efficiently, savings in the back room, and forces collaborating on procuring equipment".
"Very large sums of money are still going to be made available to policing.
"Of course there will have to be savings, we have been quite clear about that."
He added that while police forces will have to find their share of savings, the government believed they could be found, "particularly in regard to police forces working more efficiently, savings in the back room, and forces collaborating on procuring equipment".
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