NPCC warns forces facing funding challenge to maintain workforce numbers

It comes as the latest Home Office police workforce figures show a fall of more than 1,300 officers and staff compared with six months previously.

As at September 30, 2025, the total paid police workforce size (including police officers, police staff, designated officers and police community support officers) in England and Wales was 234,425 full-time equivalents (FTE) – a decrease of 1,334 (0.6 per cent) compared with six months earlier (235,760 FTE as at March 31, 2025)

NPCC chair Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: “Police forces are operating in an extremely difficult financial environment, and the reality is that many chief constables do not have sufficient funding to maintain current workforce numbers.

“Forces are funded very differently and face very different levels of demand, but the cumulative impact of inflation, pay pressures and constrained capital investment is being felt across the service.

“I know ministers have moved to help address some of these challenges through measures such as removing the officer maintenance grant.

“However, the overall financial picture remains challenging. Many forces are planning service reductions, with consequences for officer numbers, staff capacity and overall resilience. Efficiencies are becoming harder to deliver within how we are currently set up and there is very little headroom to absorb further pressure.”

He added: “There is a powerful positive vision behind the Government’s police reform programme. But reform is also vital to a system that policing simply cannot afford anymore, with sustained financial deficits, inefficiency and duplication across the wider system and a lack of investment in technology and infrastructure.

“Policing remains committed to working constructively with ministers, including on ambitious plans for police reform. But policing would benefit immediately from greater clarity on longer term funding and investment in key technology and equipment, so forces can plan sustainably, protect frontline services and ensure policing has the right workforce and skills to meet modern demand.”