Additional Government funding isn't enough to solve everything, Police and Crime Commissioner warns
Additional funding for Lincolnshire Police isn’t a ‘silver bullet’ and won’t deliver ‘everything’, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has warned.
Lincolnshire PCC Marc Jones (Independent) said that the additional Government funding was welcome – but it will not solve all of the force’s pressures.
Lincolnshire Police has been awarded £16 million in Government funding for this financial year, with a further £12 million for the following two years – in response to concerns the force would have to cut up to 200 police officers and 200 police staff, without additional cash.
Mr Jones warned members of Lincolnshire Police and Crime panel at a meeting on Friday (June 12) that Lincolnshire was the second lowest funded force in the country alongside Bedfordshire.
He said: “It isn’t a silver bullet. It doesn’t give us everything that we wanted and needed.
“It does mean that instead of planning, as we were only a few months ago, to reduce the already lowest amount of police officers per head of population in the country by a further 200 and an additional 200 police staff would have also gone.
“We’re now in the position of not doing that and on top of doing that actually recruiting.”
The PCC explained that the money was enough to recruit 148 police officers, 20 PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) and additional police staff.
But Mr Jones went on to say that the force won’t be able to solve all its problems overnight – and won’t have enough money to improve everything.
He said that the force was facing a ‘dire’ situation and that it will take time to turn this around.
Mr Jones added: “I’m still in the position of trying to explain that we can’t turn that around instantly and deliver results when we were literally at the point of dismantling the entire organisation.
“To turn that around in just three to six months is just unrealistic.”
The PCC said the additional money would provide stability and will enable the force to plan ahead.
He added: “The chief (constable) and his team are working incredibly hard to deliver a new strategic plan with operational plans in very different areas of the organisation beneath it, at the same time as getting ready for that.
“I think it will still be a very tough year. My expectation is that there will still be challenges in the next inspection report – but the foundations would definitely be there for the one after that.
“I feel confident that everything is moving in the right direction, but I do not underestimate the size and scale of the challenge.”