Derbyshire Police 'coping' with murder inquiries
Derbyshire Police has said it is "coping well" with an unusually high number of murder inquiries despite funding cuts.
The force usually handles up to eight murder cases a year but has investigated five suspected murders in the past four months.
Assistant Chief Constable Alec Wood said the force had contingency funds to deal with major incidents.
The force needs to save £13m in two years as a result of government cuts.
ACC Wood said: "We have specialist major crime investigators working right across the county and although the number of murders we have had recently is testing for us, we are very skilled and practised at investigating major crimes of this nature.
"We are coping and we will cope."
ACC Wood added none of the murders were linked and overall, Derbyshire was "a very safe place to live".
He said in three out of the five investigations, people had been charged.
Rajani Raja, 20, of Depot Road, Normanton, has been charged with the murder of Roveela Kauser who was found stabbed in Normanton.
Lee Barnes, 38, from Butterley Hill, has been charged with the murder of Christopher Clowes in Ripley and 24-year-old Terry Higgins has been charged with murdering Catherine Leighton in Allenton.
Derbyshire Police needs to save £13m over the next two years as government funding has been cut.