The Prime Minister’s promise to provide sufficient government funding to maintain current police and community support officer numbers up to 2013 has received a sceptical response.

In a speech to Reading police officers this week, Gordon Brown said his government, if re-elected this year, will provide the funds to maintain police officer and PCSO numbers to current record levels to protect frontline policing and challenged local authorities to do the same.

Mr Brown said officer numbers were now 17,000 above the level when Labour came to power in 1997 with the addition of 16,000 community support officers.

“At the Pre-Budget Report, we made the commitment to protect central government funding for frontline policing – because I know how important our police are to people, and so there will be no reason based on central government funding why police or PCSO numbers should fall,” he said.
“Police funding in this country has always and rightly been part national, part local. So my challenge to local authorities and police authorities around the country is to match our commitment to protecting frontline policing – or else explain to their communities why they are not prepared to do so. And explain what else is more important than keeping their streets safe and continuing to drive down crime and anti-social behaviour and to drive down fear.”

Mr Brown’s comments come as police forces and authorities across the country prepare plans for a range of funding scenarios in light of expected reductions in public sector expenditure. They expect cuts to be made in grants from central government when the current guaranteed funding arrangements end in April 2011. Many are also planning for a zero increase in the amount raised locally through the council tax, effectively a cut in real terms.

With local councils, businesses, universities and other funding partners providing about £21 million towards employing PCSOs in 2008-09, cuts already being made to these sectors have led to police authorities making contingency plans in case this source of funding is reduced or withdrawn.

David Hanson told Police Professional this week that the Prime Minister has committed to provide the funds to maintain overall officer numbers into 2013 but refused say what level of overall funding would be provided to forces beyond the 2010/11 financial year. He said, unlike the Conservative opposition, a Labour government will guarantee to keep the minimum 2.5 per cent budget increase through 2010/11.

“When we put in place the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement shortly after the general election, there will be sufficient resources in place for the number of warranted officers and PCSOs to be maintained in the event forces want that.”

The Association of Police Authorities (APA) has welcomed the Prime Minister’s challenge to protect frontline policing but said it would like to be able to determine how much is raised locally but can’t due to the government’s own capping regime.

Bob Summers, APA lead on finance and Norfolk Police Authority treasurer, said all police authorities and councils have received letters from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) warning against excessive increases in council tax. Local authorities have set average increases in overall council tax of 1.8 per cent despite the police portion rising by more than three per cent.

“We don’t know what the expectation will be after the general election, we don’t know if we will have to reduce the level of council tax precept. Authorities will be making assumptions as to what that level will be and, as in Norfolk, many are assuming there will be no increase from 2011 onwards.”

The Prime Minister’s reassurances have therefore been welcomed by the chairman of the Police Federation. However, he remains sceptical and says cuts in police officer posts are already being made in the majority of police forces in England and Wales.

Paul McKeever said: “While we are delighted that the Prime Minister sees the importance of maintaining police officer numbers and policing resources, it is important chief officers and police authorities implement and utilise this investment wisely to ensure the public gets what it expects; more police officers on the streets.

“Our concern is that with 32 forces already reporting a recruitment freeze, combined with the natural loss of officers leaving and retiring, it seems more likely we will see a dip in officer numbers. We would therefore be interested to hear a more precise projection on what figures the government believes provides the resilience needed, particularly with the 2012 Olympic games not too far in the future and with the clear link given that the current level of police officer numbers is proving successful in keeping crime rates down.”