The Chair of Cleveland Police Authority has welcomed the pledge from Chancellor Alistair Darling that the Government is committed to maintaining police numbers over the next three years—but he’s warned that the drive to get a fair funding deal for the local force must continue.
Councillor Dave McLuckie was responding to the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget Report in which he said that policing, along with schools and hospitals, would receive real-term increases—adding that sufficient funding would be made available to maintain the current number of police officers and community support officers.
Speaking at today’s meeting of the Authority Executive, Councillor McLuckie pointed out that for the coming year Cleveland’s grant would rise by 2.5 per cent—less than the majority of other forces—and highlighted that the Government expected that by 2014 the police service would make savings of at least £500million from ‘improving processes.’
Said Councillor McLuckie “Whilst the Chancellor did not give any firm figures on funding beyond the coming year, it does seem that, in comparison with many other public services, policing will be relatively protected from the full impact of dealing with the consequences of the recession.
“The clear statement that sufficient funds will be available to maintain officer numbers is good news—particularly in the case of Cleveland where, as an Authority, we have maintained our clear commitment to keeping officer levels at the highest in the force’s history.
“Yet we must not think that everything in the garden is rosy. The proposed funding arrangements for the coming year provide us with the lowest possible grant increase of 2.5 per cent and we will be making representations to Ministers. This is the fifth year in a row we have found ourselves receiving the lowest possible rise—if we had been awarded the same average increase as forces regarded as most similar to Cleveland we would have had £1.4million more to invest in policing in the coming year.
“We also need to recognise that we still a very big challenge to meet the savings targets set by the Government. Meeting our share of the national target of at least £500million from ‘improving processes’—in other words working better and smarter.
“I am confident that the Authority, working with the Chief Constable and his officers and staff, can continue the progress we have achieved in recent years in improving and modernising the way we do business at the same time as delivering consistent reductions in crime and achieving one of the highest public confidence levels in the country.”
10-12-09