Police chiefs warn over ‘difficult financial decisions’ amid funding shortfalls

A 6% increase in cash terms falls short of what is needed, chief constables said.

Police leaders have hit out at shortfalls in Government funding they claim will leave forces in England and Wales facing ‘difficult financial decisions’ next year (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Archive)

Police leaders have warned that shortfalls in Government funding will leave forces in England and Wales facing “difficult financial decisions” next year.

A 6% increase in cash terms falls short of what is needed to “progress and improve”, chief constables said, while the staff association for more than 145,000 rank-and-file officers branded the package the “worst financial support forces have received in recent years”.

Under the provisional settlement, set out by policing minister Chris Philp on Thursday as a “significant investment”, funding for forces will rise by up to £842.9 million from central government in 2024-25.

The settlement does little more than part-fund our most recent pay award and cover additional employer pension contributions

Chief Constable Paul Sanford

This will take overall spending to £18.4 billion, assuming police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in England collect the maximum council tax precept permitted.

Mr Philp said the Home Office was “only able to deliver this substantial funding increase by reprioritising funding from other programmes”.

The department would not confirm which programmes would lose funding but said other budgets would be set out in due course.

Norfolk Constabulary’s Chief Constable Paul Sanford, who leads the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s work on finance, said: “We recognise that a 6% increase in police funding would appear significant given current economic challenges.

“We welcome further investment in policing and understand the challenges faced by Government, but this settlement is short of what forces require to progress and improve our service.

“The settlement does little more than part-fund our most recent pay award and cover additional employer pension contributions. This means that there will continue to be difficult financial decisions for every police force.”

He highlighted figures which emerged earlier this year revealing more than 6,000 officers were filling back-office roles which should be carried out by other staff, meaning “thousands of officers are behind desks when they should be on the streets fighting crime and helping communities”, adding: “The success of policing is dependent on not just officer numbers but staff and volunteers.”

Efforts were being made to “improve productivity” but there “continue to be challenges”, he said, as he called for support from the Government.

“Having greater flexibility over how our workforce budgets are allocated, as well as a capital grant to support investment in new technology, would go a long way to ensuring policing can be as productive, efficient and effective as possible”, he added.

Communities deserve a well-funded and equipped force, dedicated to making our country safer

James Cleverly

The Police Federation of England and Wales said: “It is extremely disappointing that the Government simply refuses to acknowledge the acute resource crunch our forces are facing and continues to hand out short-term funding arrangements.”

Taking into account the Government’s recruitment drive to hire 20,000 new officers, the federation said the funding announcement is “the worst financial support forces have received in recent years”.

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners welcomed the Government announcement, saying it was “good news for policing”.

But the Police Federation’s national chairman Steve Hartshorn said it was “disappointing” that PCCs were “yet again having to choose to take more money from local residents who have already paid for policing in taxes at a time when the cost of living is still biting hard on many, especially the recent energy cost increases”.

Mr Philp said: “Today’s settlement will enable us to keep driving crime down. I want to see a zero-tolerance approach to any form of criminality.”

Home Secretary James Cleverly said the Government will “always support our police”, adding: “Communities deserve a well-funded and equipped force, dedicated to making our country safer.”