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Police forces in England and Wales have warned to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper that neighbourhood police officers, who are a government priority, are at risk of being cut should further funding not be announced. Nearly a quarter of police forces in the country have urged Cooper to underwrite the costs of pay rises and higher employer taxes when details of their funding are announced early next week. Some police forces are even facing budget deficits of £10m or more, with the Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police warning that the jobs of a third of the force could be at risk and cause a jeopardy to the force’s viability.
Essex Police, which has a £10m potential deficit, and four other neighbouring police forces have sent a joint letter to the Home Office asking for assistance, while Lincolnshire Police is at risk of shedding 400 of its 1,100 officers should no extra funding be allocated for the force. Some forces state that they are struggling to maintain to maintain government-prescribed minimum officer levels and risk losing some of their funding if their officer levels drop below that minimum. Police areas all around the country have emptied their reserves and sold off property in a desperate bid to protect their frontline staff.
The Metropolitan Police force is the largest UK police force and covers national responsibilities, including counter-terrorism, but faces a potential deficit of £450m. The funding allocation for each force is expected to be announced next week, however senior officers have raised concerns as to whether the funding available will be based on the actual deficits they face or on the funding formula which ishow much each force receives. The funding formula was devised in 2006 and some forces claim it is now out of date and inadequate due to changing crime patterns and growing populations.
Furthermore, Chief Constable Paul Gibson of Lincolnshire warns that if the government does not help the police forces maintain their current yearly operations, he would have to take more than 400 police officers and police staff out of the organisation. Gibson argues that the funding issue is so significant that all 60 neighbourhood officers in his county could be at risk, which he warns would turn Lincolnshire into a purely “reactive” force. Lincolnshire has tried to save money by replacing police helicopters with drones, moving gun licensing online and introducing mobile fingerprint units, but Gibson has rejected suggestions that the force could find more savings.
The Home Office has stated that the police funding settlement for next year will “cover the annual pay award in full and give forces more money to recruit officers and keep our streets safe”. However, police chiefs are still unsure of whether this additional funding will continue beyond this year. Cooper has announced that police spending in England and Wales will increase by over £500m including £100m for 13,000 more neighbourhood officers and £260m for additional tax and pay costs
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