Police chiefs have reported that government budget cuts continue to harm their forces, resulting in 6,000 officers being pulled from frontline crime fighting to fill in gaps created by a financial crisis.
Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Gavin Stephens, stated that although police are successfully reducing crime rates, they are struggling with financial constraints and are currently facing a deficit of £3.2bn.
The government, led by the Conservative party, significantly decreased funding for the police starting in 2010, resulting in a decrease of 20,000 officers. However, in line with their promise in the 2019 manifesto, they have now reversed this decision and have begun a recruitment program, known as the police uplift, to bring the number of officers back up to its previous level.
When asked about the impact of budget cuts on policing, Stephens stated that they have not yet fully recovered.
The head of the police chiefs in Britain stated: “The main obstacle to our complete recovery is the challenging state of our financial stability.”
“The borrowing has increased by £1 billion due to the lack of capital grants for infrastructure investment. Additionally, there has been a decrease of £1 billion in reserves and there is still a need to save £1.2 billion. These savings will mainly come from reductions in police staff. Therefore, there is currently a cash deficit of £3.2 billion, which would be necessary for maintaining a stable service today.”
Police staff, such as community support officers, forensic experts, and administrative workers, have been facing the consequences of budget cuts, unlike officers who are not at risk of being laid off.
Stephens mentioned that out of the 20,000 new officers, 6,000 of them were performing tasks that are typically done by police staff, rather than being out on the streets.
He stated that they were not experiencing the full impact of uplift. Essentially, the budgetary pressures are being felt by the police staff. This is evident in the 4,000 unfilled staff positions and 6,000 police officers performing duties that should be handled by police staff.
The chair of NPCC stated that officer numbers have increased by 2.5% since 2010. However, there has been a significant rise in reported crimes, a shift in the types of crimes committed, and an increase in demands on the police force.
Stephens noted that since the initiation of the uplift programme in 2020, a total of 46,000 new officers were hired. These recruits were necessary to fill the gaps left by government budget cuts and to replace retired personnel. However, this influx of new officers has also resulted in a loss of experience within the police force, particularly in areas crucial to contemporary crime prevention like digital forensics.
He stated that there has been a change due to the loss of experience. He also mentioned that there is a significant amount of operational experience among the police staff that is frequently lost.
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According to Stephens, the clear-up rate for crime, which measures the number of suspects who have been charged or cautioned by police, was only 6%. He expressed concern that the criminal justice system was frequently unable to provide justice for victims. He added that as a whole, there is insufficient justice being served for a significant number of victims.
The chair of NPCC emphasized the pressing need for reforms and supported the request for a royal commission to examine the criminal justice system. This was included in the Conservatives’ manifesto for the 2019 election, but has not been fulfilled.
The chairman of NPCC stated that the scandals that have affected policing in recent times have harmed people’s trust and this issue is not limited to just the Metropolitan police in London. However, he also mentioned that surveys have revealed a strong commitment to ethics and serving the public among the majority of officers.
Law enforcement and crime are expected to be heavily discussed topics in the upcoming national election, which must take place no later than January 2025.
Source: theguardian.com
