Police boost has been failure, says commissioner
THE Government has ‘failed’ in its pledge to boost policing in the West Midlands, the region’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has insisted, despite an increase in funding and officer numbers.
West Midlands Police will get an extra 1,200 officers by 2023 but that will still leave the force 1,000 down on 2010 levels.
Cash from the Government will also rise, it was announced in the funding settlement, from £620 million in 2020/21 to £655 million in 2021/22 and to £694 million the following year.
But Labour PCC Simon Foster said, because of inflation and other pressures, the amount would not be enough the plug the “black hole” in the force’s finances. The police chief has consistently pressed home the point his force will still be 1,000 officers short than before austerity kicked in from 2010 in response to Boris Johnson’s promises to ‘level-up’ the region.
And Mr Foster said: “There were two basic tests of this Government funding announcement...
“Firstly, has the Government put the funding in place to return our 1,000 missing officers.
“Secondly, has it plugged the black hole in our finances, caused by rising costs and inflation? This Government has failed both tests and in doing so, has failed West Midlands Police and has failed the people of the West Midlands.
“Since 2010, West Midlands Police has lost 2,221 police officers – 25 per cent of our police officers – as a consequence of central Government defunding of our police service.
“We are only due to receive 1,200 officers back over the coming years. We have simply been asking the Government to comply with its own pledge to level-up – and return our 1,000 missing officers to the West Midlands.
“The Government is yet again providing us with a stark choice – raise local council tax or face yet further cuts to policing.
“The effect of central Government decision making in recent years has been that the people of the West Midlands have had to pay more local council tax for less local policing. ”
Mr Foster added: “It is clear – there is to be no levelling-up for West Midlands Police or the people of the West Midlands.”
Policing minister Kit Malthouse told the Commons overall police funding would rise by £1.1 billion in the year to 2022/23.