APCC response to neighbourhood policing announcement
APCC Joint Leads for Police Funding, PFCC Roger Hirst and PCC Joy Allen, said:
“We know the public want to see more officers on the streets, so the government’s announcement that they are doubling their ringfenced funding to £200 million for additional neighbourhood officers is welcome. This will be a good start towards the overall increase in neighbourhood officers they want to see over the course of this Parliament.
“Policing budgets remain under pressure. The degree of challenge varies between forces, but PCCs and chief constables face difficult choices to be able to maintain the level of resources needed, and a workforce configured to respond to the demands on policing.
“PCCs and Deputy Mayors are committed to providing the best possible police service to the public and will hold chief constables accountable for delivering a more visible police presence in our communities.”
APCC Joint Leads for Local Policing, PCCs Matt Storey and Chris Nelson, said:
“We very much welcome the additional £100 million the government has announced ringfenced for neighbourhood policing over and above the £100 million they pledged at the end of last year. It shows they have heard what PCCs have long argued for on behalf of the public – visible officers out on the beat in the community, preventing and tackling crime.
“Whilst we recognise the continued challenges many PCCs and local forces face in the current financial climate, this extra money will provide greater flexibility for chief constables to structure their workforce so that it best suits the needs of their area, including vital police staff who are integral to the deployment of frontline officers to keep the public safe.”