Police force facing £16m budget gap

SOUTH Wales Police is already facing an initial £16m budget gap for next year – equivalent to the cost of 320 officers – new figures have revealed.

The figure, which does not take into account any council tax precept increase yet, was revealed to members of the South Wales Police and Crime Panel.

Umar Hussain, the chief finance officer for the force, told members of the panel meeting in Merthyr Tydfil last week that the gap is the equivalent to the cost of 320 officers, 400 PCSOs and 240 police staff members.

The force has already made more than £6m savings but the near £23m spend leaves an initial shortfall of £16.4m for 2019/20.

If there is a 1% precept rise next year, the force expects that will generate £1.15m.

The initial budget gap (excluding any precept rise) for 2019/20 was £11.5m but this has risen because of various pressures such as the apprenticeship levy, increased employer contributions to the pension scheme, unfunded pay awards, inadequate infrastructure funding and the increased dependency on technology to manage rising demand.

Mr Hussain said the force is looking at various areas where it can make savings.

Matt Jukes, the chief constable of South Wales Police, told panel members the recent pay increases for staff had not been funded and that the force has had to absorb this. He said a 2% rise would cost the force £6m if the funding didn’t follow from the UK Government.

Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales Alun Michael said it was “outrageous” that the force was being asked to find an extra £4m this year and £10m next year to fund officer pensions and plug the gap left by the Treasury.