Cleveland Police and Crime Panel has been told to expect further enforced Government cuts in the coming years
Police Commissioner Barry Coppinger
Cleveland Police is facing a budget black hole of £11.5m by 2018 – despite already being “cut to the bone”.
The force announced in November that 123 jobs would be axed as it looks to make an extra £4.8m of savings on top of the £26m cuts already made from a total budget of £137m.
But now the Cleveland Police and Crime Panel has been told to expect further enforced Government cuts in the coming years.
A report to the panel revealed that although the final 2015/16 settlement has not yet been confirmed, it is assumed Cleveland’s grant will fall by £4.5m (5%).
And it is forecast that there will be a budget gap of £11.5m by 2017/18.
The report was compiled by the Task and Finish Group, set up to examine the key issues and financial pressures surrounding the budget for 2014/15 and beyond at Cleveland Police.
Barry Coppinger, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, said in November that the force was “down to the minimum number of people it needs to deliver policing in Cleveland”. He added then that the force had been “cut to the bone”.
Mr Coppinger admitted yesterday that the £11.5m shortfall would present a “real challenge” for Cleveland Police.
“What we need to do is to continue to plan ahead,” he said.
“It’s a considerable challenge – the only positive aspect is it’s four years away and hopefully we have got time to plan. We are already pursuing a number of measures to bridge the budget gap over the next few years, and we are on track.”
These measures include internal restructuring including cutting middle and senior management posts, an early retirement and voluntary redundancy scheme, renegotiating external contracts, better use of estates, including the sale of the Ladgate Lane HQ and closer collaboration with other forces and agencies.
Mr Coppinger said the Home Office’s view was that Cleveland Police was “making progress and moving forward” in planning for the future.
The report to the Police and Crime Panel showed that by November last year the force had reduced to 1,391 police officers from 1,727 in 2010 but was moving “to a sustainable operating model of 1,333 officers to deliver policing in Cleveland”.
In July 2011, the then chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, Peter Race, said the minimum number of officers required to maintain the quality of service was 1,500.
The report noted that with 1,333 officers, Cleveland will have 2.4 officers per 1,000 population, above the national average of 1.9, adding: “This partly reflects the level of need in the area. In order to attempt to maintain this, there will need to be ever greater focus on savings and efficiency elsewhere.”
James Wharton, Conservative MP for Stockton South, said he will be “watching closely” to ensure Cleveland Police manages the budget savings “carefully and appropriately”.
The MP said: “It is clear that ordinary police officers are doing their job and achieving more with less, now the management need to do the same and to look seriously at where savings can be found that will not hit the front line.
“I find it hard to believe they cannot find savings to protect the service we all rely on if they look seriously at their cost base.
“We all know that difficult decisions have to be taken as we get our economy back on track.”
Barry Coppinger: 'Police officers taking patients to hospital is a drain on our resources'
MPs call for Cleveland Police cuts rethink - as figures show personnel has been cut by a third
Latest cuts will reduce Cleveland Police officer numbers to 1,342 by March 2015
Cleveland Police to axe 58 MORE officers in bid to save extra £4.8m
Cleveland Police preparing to budget for further £7m cuts in next financial year
No comments:
Post a Comment