PSA President Nick Smart has commented following today's (Tuesday 17th December) Home Office announcement on police funding:
“Any increase in funding is welcome, but we should be under no illusion that this is going to fix the funding problems we face.
“The NPCC has cited a financial deficit of more than £1bn after the updated funding – this is massive, and as a result it has become ‘the norm’ for forces to operate in a context in which they are continually forced to make cuts.
“The inconsistency in which forces are funded also means that some will fare better than others. We know that in the last week, chief constables from a number of forces have stressed the impossible situation they face when it comes to retaining head count due to ever shrinking budgets with increasing demand. This is despite more than half of police forces having less officers per 100,000 of population than they had in 2010.
“The funding formula we have is outdated and must change. We need a long-term funding strategy that listens to the experiences of the workforce, that enables chiefs to plan based on localised need, and that adequately funds what is expected of policing.
“This issue of what is expected is key. Government leaders repeatedly ignore our call for a defined mission, so continue to expect us to do more with less, even when what we’re doing is not always police business.
“Many of the initiatives described today are positive, such as the National Centre for Policing, the police reform white paper and the Commercial Efficiency and Collaboration Programme – but when will the workforce be engaged on these important projects? Senior leaders are key to the success of policing reform and we call on government to ensure our voices are heard.”
“Any increase in funding is welcome, but we should be under no illusion that this is going to fix the funding problems we face.
“The NPCC has cited a financial deficit of more than £1bn after the updated funding – this is massive, and as a result it has become ‘the norm’ for forces to operate in a context in which they are continually forced to make cuts.
“The inconsistency in which forces are funded also means that some will fare better than others. We know that in the last week, chief constables from a number of forces have stressed the impossible situation they face when it comes to retaining head count due to ever shrinking budgets with increasing demand. This is despite more than half of police forces having less officers per 100,000 of population than they had in 2010.
“The funding formula we have is outdated and must change. We need a long-term funding strategy that listens to the experiences of the workforce, that enables chiefs to plan based on localised need, and that adequately funds what is expected of policing.
“This issue of what is expected is key. Government leaders repeatedly ignore our call for a defined mission, so continue to expect us to do more with less, even when what we’re doing is not always police business.
“Many of the initiatives described today are positive, such as the National Centre for Policing, the police reform white paper and the Commercial Efficiency and Collaboration Programme – but when will the workforce be engaged on these important projects? Senior leaders are key to the success of policing reform and we call on government to ensure our voices are heard.”
The provisional police grant report can be accessed here.