HMIC: Police budget shortfall will mean job cuts

HMIC said almost 6,000 fewer officers will be on the policing frontline in three years’ time as a result of the government’s budget cuts.

Police workforces will be cut by 32,400 officers and staff by March 2015, including the loss of at least 15,000 officers, the HMIC report said.

Some 2,700 officers were lost from the frontlines by March 2012, and this will increase to 5,800 (6 per cent) by March 2015.

The total frontline workforce will also be cut by 8,100 officers and staff, or 6 per cent, while those in non-frontline functions will see the loss of 20,300 officers and staff, a third of the total.

The report said that around 264 front counters in police stations will close, which amounts to about one fifth of them. It said that some 137 police access counters, such as in libraries and supermarkets, will also open to help offset these closures.

Extra officers

The Metropolitan Police was named as one of three forces which may not be able to provide an efficient or effective service for the public in the future.

In a statement given to Channel 4 News, the force said: “The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has already made significant budget savings – £201m delivered in 2011/12, with plans in place to have delivered £537m across this comprehensive spending review (CSR) period, ie by 2014/15.

“We are committed to making reductions by considering how we do things differently and prioritising our service to communities. As part of this process, and subject to mayoral approval, we plan to put 2,000 more officers into neighbourhood policing teams by the end of the year by realigning them from other roles.

“The extra officers will come from transferring officers from back-room and non-operational roles, and from merging existing squads, while senior management costs are also being reduced to ensure that there are as many constables out in communities as possible.”

Also cited in the report as being candidates for cuts-related operational problems were Devon and Cornwall police and the Lincolnshire force.

G4S

As part of a savings programme, security firm G4S recently took over some of the services provided by Lincolnshire police and in June it announced there could be 40 net job losses as it sought to make savings amid a reorganisation.

In response to the report, Policing Minister Nick Herbert said: “This report makes it clear that the frontline of policing is being protected overall and that the service to the public has largely been maintained.

“The proportion of officers on the frontline is increasing, the number of neighbourhood officers has gone up, crime is down, victim satisfaction is improving and the response to emergency calls is being maintained.

“While there are particular challenges in three forces, we know that the vast majority are rising to the challenge of reducing budgets while protecting service to the public.”