News / Politics
PCC fears for ?15m cut to Avon & Somerset
Avon and Somerset police and crime commissioner Sue Mountstevens has written to all the area’s MPs asking them for help to protect the force’s budget.
The constabulary is due to lose £15 million a year – equivalent to 300 officers – if a new funding formula is agreed on, Mounstevens said.
The new proposals are outlined in a consultation which closes on Tuesday.
Mounstevens initially welcomed the announcement of a change in formula to work out how each force is allocated money.
But, having studied the consultation, she said on Tuesday: “ The proposed new formula does not take into account crime demand and incidents and does not give enough importance to the population of an area.
“Current projections look like Avon and Somerset could miss out on £15 million a year, which is equivalent to 300 police officers.
“Put simply the proposed new funding formula would mean far fewer officers on the beat to keep people safe within Avon and Somerset.”
Any cuts will be in addition to any potential reductions anticipated in the next Comprehensive Spending Review, due in November.
Mountsevens said the force has already had to make £58 million of savings, meaning a loss of nearly 600 police officers.
She added: “We know there are more cuts to come, at least £25m, but the proposed funding formula would be a new reduction on top of all of this and there could be disastrous consequences.”
The police service in the UK is funded through a combination of government grant and money raised through local council tax.
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