APCC Chair on 'huge pressure' on policing: response to funding report
Responding to the Public Accounts Committee report on the financial sustainability of police forces, APCC Chair, Mark Burns-Williamson PCC said:
“This report again further highlights the significant challenges that policing is currently facing, which paints a consistent picture that Government need to take heed of.
“Police and Crime Commissioners have been clear that policing is under huge pressure; that demand on the service is increasing as is the complexity of the cases that forces are having to deal with. We are working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Home Office to review our demand and resources in preparing a comprehensive submission in the run up to the next Government spending review.
“The prolonged period in not addressing how the funding formula is allocated has contributed to the uncertainty, along with the overall reductions in central grant, both of which need to be tackled if the overall financial position of policing is to improve in the future.
“With regard to the Emergency Services Network, we remain very concerned that the extension of Airwave could have a significant impact on already pressured police budgets. On police reform, in order to fulfil our ambitions in this area, as set out in the Policing Vision 2025, we need to move forward with a multi-year approach to funding programmes, which has the potential to achieve far greater value for money.
“Any further national strategy would need to complement the Policing Vision 2025, which sets out the key outcomes and objectives for policing, alongside those areas where we believe further developments are needed in order to build a police service for the future – something all policing leaders are fully committed to.
“We know the public want to see more investment and support for policing services and we continue to work with the Home Office to resolve the immediate employer pension contributions issue.”