Despite having to make savings of around £12million in its budget for the coming year, the Chair of Cleveland Police Authority has again underlined that ‘protecting the front line remains the priority.’
That was the message from Councillor Dave McLuckie today as members of the Authority agreed spending plans in the face of an unprecedented cut in Government funding - in real terms Government support will fall by around £17million over the next two years and will be reduced by 20 per cent or more within four years.
The budget will mean delivering savings across a wide range of activities but Councillor McLuckie said that the impact of the partnership agreement with Steria had helped ensure that the Authority and Force would be able to avoid the massive job losses being faced in other parts of the country.
The partnership agreement with Steria for providing a wide range of support services and civilianising many back office roles previously undertaken by police officers will generate over £7million of the savings required. A further £5million will be achieved through measures including savings on overtime, Bank Holiday staffing, rationalisation of PCSO shift patterns, reduction in staff posts in the police executive and authority and reduced expenditure on uniforms.
Total spending for the coming year will be just over £141.5million and the Authority has decided that the Council precept, which raises just over £32million, will remain unchanged - meaning that the benchmark Band D rate will continue at £187.838, although the majority of households in Cleveland are in lower bands.
Although the Force’s officer establishment will be reduced from 1,727 to 1,572, this will be achieved through continuing civilianising of posts. The establishment figure for Police Community Support Officers will also fall slightly from 197 to 182.5 - the result of losing funding for some posts previously provided by three local authorities.
Said Councillor McLuckie “We have consistently made clear or determination to do everything possible to protect front-line services and we have achieved that for the coming year. But I do not want anyone to be under the illusion that this is the end of the story—there are more cuts in Government funding in coming years and delivering savings at the same time as protecting the front line will become ever more difficult.
“We have decided not to seek an increase in the Council tax precept because that is the right thing to do when everyone in our area is facing tough times. It does mean that we will receive a little more money on a one-off basis from Government but we have to give the health warning that it will not help our position in future years.
“This has probably been the most difficult budget process ever faced by the Authority and the Force and I have to repeat the point that I regard it as scandalous that, at a time when across the country decisions are being made to reduce police numbers—some much worse than here in Cleveland - the Government, whilst imposing unprecedented cuts, is continuing to push ahead with plans for an administrative upheaval which will have huge costs…including £50million for the first round of elections of Commissioners and the £122,000 a year salaries they will receive…and for which there is no public support.
“Only yesterday a report from the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee expressed concern at the risks involved in imposing massive organisational change in the midst of huge financial challenges. The Committee is correct - it makes no sense to spend huge amounts of money, time and effort on creating new structures when what the public want is for us to ensure that all available resources go to supporting front-line policing in their local communities.”