Government police grant disappointment

THE COUNTY’S police Tsar has voiced his disappointment at the cut in cash given to the force by the Government.

For 2017/18 Leicestershire Police’s total grant looks to be around £112 million, made up of a provisional core settlement of more than £64 million from the Home Office plus other allocations.

However, unless Whitehall revises its funding policy from its current proposals, this will mean around a £1 million reduction on last year’s funding.

Responding to the Police Grant Report, Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach said: “I’m disappointed that the Government is ignoring its responsibilities in the face of inflation and increasingly complex demands on policing resources. Instead it has chosen to reduce the police grant leaving it to local people to make up the shortfall through the policing element of the council tax bill.

“This means that the increase permitted by Government before a local referendum is invoked, currently set at 2%, will go towards keeping the status quo.”

He added the force was still feeling the pinch of the 20% funding cuts imposed over the last four years and had lost too many officers and staff.

But he insisted the constabulary would continue to do everything they could, “with consummate professionalism and skill”, for everyone in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Currently it is expected the police portion of council tax paid by households in Leicestershire and Rutland will remain at 2% for the next four years.