Police forces spend millions on recruiting agency staff
Sharp rise a ‘symptom of budget cuts’
POLICE FORCES in Yorkshire spent nearly £4m recruiting temporary and agency staff to plug gaps in their ranks last year, new figures have revealed.
The cost of outsourcing almost 2,000 members of staff stood at £2.4m for West Yorkshire Police in 2017, while South Yorkshire Police looked set to break the £1m mark for the same period having spent £847,000 by December.
From IT workers to firearms trainers, the number of agency and temporary staff drafted in by West Yorkshire Police more than tripled over the last five years, from a combined total of 432 in 2012 to 1,954 last year.
Its 2017 bill for outsourcing staff rose has also risen by more than £2m compared to 2012, according to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by
Craig Grandison, vice chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation, which represents officers, said the boom in agency staff among forces was “symptomatic” of cuts to policing budgets.
“We all want to see the police providing best value to the public,” he said. “Unfortunately the long-term use of agency staff does not do that. I would prefer that the money was invested into permanent police staff to support the officers on front-line policing.”
While the number of agency and temporary staff recruited in 2017 actually fell by 100 compared to 2016, West Yorkshire Police forked out about £800,000 more last year to pay for fewer roles to be filled. Mr Grandison said forces were struggling to attract suitable applicants for some posts because of uncertainty surrounding job security.
Nigel Brook, assistant chief officer at West Yorkshire Police, said the figures come after significant budget cuts, and included those for permanent employees temporarily filling vacancies.
Extra officers were recruited to help with demand for child sexual exploitation investigations.
Meanwhile, South Yorkshire Police’s spending more than doubled from £385,000 in 2015/16 to £1m in 2016/17. A force spokesperson said it had launched a series of joint IT service projects in partnership with Humberside Police, which contributed to the sharp rise. Humberside Police paid agencies £483,000 in the last year.
North Yorkshire Police data shows numbers of outsourced staff rose by one third, from a monthly average of 99 in 2015 to 132 in 2017.
THE FACT that police forces in Yorkshire spent nearly £4m recruiting temporary and agency staff to plug gaps in their ranks last year is part of a worrying trend.
According to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by The Yorkshire Post, West Yorkshire Police forked out £2.5m on outsourcing staff in 2017, while South Yorkshire Police had spent £847,000 by December.
In the case of the West Yorkshire force, the number of agency and temporary staff it has drafted in has more than tripled over the last five years. And they are not simply filling minor administrative jobs, in some instances they are taking on important roles such as firearm training.
There is no doubt that police forces are under pressure to make budget savings and at the same time find ways of improving efficiency. The question is does the long-term use of outside agency staff achieve this?
West Yorkshire Police Federation vice-chairman Craig Grandison doesn’t think so and believes these rising costs are symptomatic of cuts being imposed on policing.
This chimes with concerns over the declining number of police officers across the country. According to the Home Office’s latest figures, the number of police officers in English and Welsh forces fell by 19,921 between September 2010 and September 2017. And herein lies the crux of the matter – namely, what kind of police force do we want to see, and how should it be paid for?
In these financially straitened times it is essential the police provide good value for money and that waste is kept to a minimum. However, just as a business cannot cut its way to growth, the constant streamlining of public services can only go so far.
Police forces do a sterling job on our behalf often in trying circumstances and if we want this to continue then they must be adequately funded and resourced.