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Extra £100 million announced for police as forces warn of funding gaps

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the investment marked a ‘major turning point’ for policing.

Helen Corbett
Friday 31 January 2025 07:23 GMT
Some forces said they will have to make cuts to officer numbers (Alamy/PA)
Some forces said they will have to make cuts to officer numbers (Alamy/PA)

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The Government will invest an extra £100 million into neighbourhood policing as it seeks to boost the number of officers on the ground.

This adds to £100 million announced in December for England and Wales to put 13,000 more police officers on the streets by 2029.

But forces have warned of difficult times ahead with current funding levels, with some saying they will have to make cuts to officer numbers.

Every neighbourhood deserves dedicated officers who know their patch, understand residents’ concerns and can tackle problems before they escalate

Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary

The new investment is scheduled for the next financial year and each police force will set out plans to use it to increase patrols by early spring.

It comes after ministers set out a provisional 3.5% real-terms increase in funding for forces with a £986.9 million package in December.

That fell short of the £1.3 billion which chief constables said police forces would need to plug funding gaps over the next two years.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for finance, Chief Constable Paul Sanford, said then the funding settlement presented “real challenges” for policing and would “inevitably lead to cuts across forces”.

On Thursday, Lincolnshire Police said it has a £14 million funding gap next year, and the force is “exploring options”, including potentially reducing the number of officers by up to 1,000 by 2029.

Meanwhile, Essex Police said everyone it employs “will be impacted in some way” by cuts.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the investment in neighbourhood policing marked a “major turning point” for policing.

“This major investment marks a turning point for policing in this country.

“By doubling extra neighbourhood funding to £200m, we are giving forces across the country what they need to put more officers and PCSOs where they’re needed most – on our streets and in our town centres.

“Every neighbourhood deserves dedicated officers who know their patch, understand residents’ concerns and can tackle problems before they escalate.

“This investment, alongside new powers we are bringing into law, will help prevent crime and protect our communities, which is at the heart of our Plan for Change.

“Restoring local policing will not happen overnight, but this funding boost will get more officers into our town centres and rural areas.”

The Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley on Thursday confirmed the country’s biggest police force will not make cuts to neighbourhood policing, despite a “stretch in the system”.

The announcement of extra money comes as the final Police Funding Settlement is published on Friday.

Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.5 billion next year.

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