Budget constraints lead to huge cuts in officer posts

Two forces are to make significant job cuts to offset projected shortfalls in their budgets – prompting concern that the problem could affect a number of forces currently struggling to balance the books.

Durham Constabulary announced it could be forced to shed up to 300 police officer posts – nearly 18 per cent of its officer strength – in less than three years to offset a projected £10m budget shortfall.

Chief Constable Jon Stoddart described the move as a ‘sensible and considered blueprint which has already been drawn up to meet the financial challenge head-on.’

The proposals, which include a major remodelling of the force, have been submitted to the Home Office for consideration.

Mr Stoddart said that any reduction in the number of front-line officers would be kept to a minimum by cutting the jobs of 200 desk-bound officers, many based at headquarters, and replacing them with civilian staff. He reassured staff that there would be no planned redundancies and the economies needed to create the streamlined service would be achieved through natural wastage and other measures.

Mr Stoddart and chair of Durham Police Authority Anne Wright have warned the Government that the authority was being slowly squeezed by spending restrictions and now faces a programme of cuts to start immediately and continue until March 2009. However, negotiations are still on-going with the Home Office in a last ditch effort to prevent the reduction in police officer numbers.

North Wales Police also announced it was to cut 120 police support staff jobs by March 2007. Director of finance and resources, Tom O’Donnell said there would be a cut in funding of £3m in the next financial year. This is due to lower than expected grants and a possible cap on council tax rises. This follows a cut of £2m in the current financial year.

“This requires action now to ensure we live within the resources being made available. We will look for all means of improving efficiency but this is a great disappointment to us and our staff who have worked so hard to turn North Wales Police into one of the best performing forces in England and Wales.

“We are desperate not to impact on frontline policing. This inevitably means that we have to look for savings within the support staff budget. We are consulting with staff associations as we proceed.”

Chair of North Wales Police Authority Ian Roberts said any initial cuts of support staff could have an impact on neighbourhood policing.

“The first ones are the backroom staff. It shouldn’t be them, they are the people who are doing a lot of work inside the make sure that we have got people on the ground. If we take them from inside we have to fill those sort of jobs and they will come from outside and will have to come from neighbourhood policing.”

Derbyshire Constabulary also admitted it would have to consider making cuts as it was currently coping with a £5.2m shortfall and that next year it would be £5.7m short of the funding it needs.

He admitted: “For the past few years we have operated to a backdrop of budget shortfalls. The simple fact is we cannot carry on maintaining such a level of performance without the necessary level of funding.

“The stark perspective is in the coming two years we may be faced with the serious threat of having to make cuts to front line services if something does not change.

“Last year we had a £4m shortfall in the budget just to standstill and despite being told by the Home Office that we should be receiving more funding that has yet to become a reality.”

Mr Coleman admitted it would be a ‘major low’ to him if the force maintained its position as one of the poor relations of police funding.”

He explained that the problem arises from the fact that the Home Office formula used to calculate force budgets has for many years been unfair to Derbyshire and did not reflect its true needs.

“Last year, the formula was updated, and not surprisingly to use it demonstrated cl