Police service urgently needs more money

14 November 2018

The Government must act on warnings of dire consequences for public safety and criminal justice if it does not invest more money in policing, says the secretary of West Midlands Police Federation, Steve Grange.

The warnings were published in the Policing for the Future report published by the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC).

MPs on the committee conclude forces are struggling to cope in the face of changing and rising crimes, as a result of falling staff numbers, outdated technology, capabilities, structures, fragmentation and a failure of Home Office leadership.

“Sadly, these findings come as no surprise to anyone in policing and, in fact, simply echo what the Police Federation of England and Wales has been saying for many years now,” says Steve.

“You simply cannot slash police budgets year on year and expect the police to maintain an effective service for their communities, particularly at a time when demand is increasing. Cuts do have consequences and have clearly had an impact on the public we serve but also on police officers whose wellbeing has been severely affected.

“We have been accused of scaremongering when we have raised our concerns and our pleas for increased funding have fallen on deaf ears but let’s hope the HASC report makes the Government see that there is an urgent need for money to be ploughed into policing before it’s too late.”

The committee’s report contains 54 conclusions and recommendations. It states: “The Government must be clear and accurate about police funding, and the resource pressures facing forces.”