Cuts larger than first thought in Devon and Cornwall

Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed that 700 police officers will be affected over the next four years after it agreed to implement Regulation A19.

Previous estimates appear to have been misjudged after the force announced that it is to make deeper cuts than first imagined, which will affect hundreds of both police staff and officers.

Deputy Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said: “It has become clear that in order to balance the budget further we will need to reduce the number of police staff roles in the organisation by a greater number than we had previously expected. We anticipate that our staff budget will need to reduce by 20-23 per cent over the next four years indicating a cut of between 375 to 500 police staff roles over the next four years.”

In light of government cuts, the force said that it has looked in detail at its non-staff budgets and has identified savings of 33 per cent – rather than the 25 per cent it had originally planned for.

The decision has also been taken to implement Regulation A19, which will affect 700 police officers over the next four years.

“One of the factors that may have an impact on these numbers is government reviews such as the Winsor Review which is an independent review of remuneration and conditions of service for officers and staff. We will also be relentlessly reviewing how we organise our business in the coming months to try to mitigate the reduction in staff.

“These are the biggest budget cuts for a generation and the police service across the country is undergoing this challenge. We will continue to monitor the situation, consult with unions and ensure that we provide our staff with ongoing support through this period of uncertainty,” added Mr Sawyer.