Consequences of cutbacks on police funding detailed by Home Affairs Committee

It is anticipated that there will be significantly fewer police officers, police community support officers as a result of Government cuts, impacting on a range of services that the police provide and the way in which they are provided.

Police forces are being asked to prioritise the front line but there is confusion as to what exactly this term means. The Home Office should work with the police service to produce an agreed definition of front line, middle office and back office police roles as soon as possible.

The Government should continue taking urgent steps to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy. More co-ordinated procurement also offers scope for savings. The Home Office should clarify who will be responsible for driving better procurement when the National Policing Improvement Agency is phased out in spring 2012.

The greatest savings are being required of police forces in 2012-13, when the transition from Police Authorities to Police and Crime Commissioners is scheduled to take place and when police forces nationwide will be under the additional pressure of policing the Olympics. The Home Office should acknowledge that there are risks involved in this transition and should set out how it should be managed.

Police forces need a funding system that offers long-term predictability in order to be able to plan more effectively, especially at a time of reduced income.

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