On behalf of Lincolnshire Police, Chief Constable Paul Gibson and PCC Marc Jones have jointly written to key stakeholders to request further support in relation to police funding in the county.
In the letter to leaders in the Home Office, College of Policing, and HMICFRS Mr Gibson and Mr Jones detailed Lincolnshire Police’s current funding position and asked for systemic assistance in addressing the imbalanced funding formula for policing in the county. The force has dealt with structural underfunding for many years, and during this time has embarked on navigating many routes to try and resolve the issue.
The central grant allocation to the Force has contributed to consistently being the lowest funded force in England and Wales. A recent independent report of Force finances showed extensive analysis in respect of the relative funding positions of the 43 forces in England and Wales, showing that Lincolnshire is the lowest funded force, but delivers low spend and provides value for money.
The medium-term financial plan has a deficit of £57m over the four year period from 2024/25, against our annual budget of £168m. While no decisions have yet been made about how to plug this gap with discussions with government and others ongoing, a savings plan is being considered to address this.
It is with this in mind that Mr Gibson and Mr Jones have taken the move by writing to stakeholders to ask for further external support in relation to funding and seek a multi-agency approach from the Government, the national policing system, and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services to help resolve this enduring issue. This assistance would support the force to try and get a sustainable and fair funding solution to deliver an effective service to communities.
Mr Gibson said: “We have been stating our case for some time in relation to our untenable funding position. Both the PCC and I feel that the time has come to increase the momentum and ask the major stakeholders and decision makers in policing to come to the table and work with us to afford Lincolnshire Police a level of resourcing that is fair and allows us to deliver an effective service to our communities.
“Our joint and ultimate aim is to ensure that communities in Lincolnshire are protected. The future funding situation now threatens the future delivery of an acceptable service, which is why we have asked to formally engage with critical partners to make sure our position is fully understood and seek to achieve a collective responsibility to address the ongoing funding imbalance.”
PCC Marc Jones said: “For years, through careful management and use of our reserves, I have been able to keep the finances of Lincolnshire Police on a secure footing – while working hard in the background to get a resolution to generations of underfunding.
“Now we face a completely new and unprecedented financial challenge, exacerbated by changes in National Insurance and pay awards, and it needs a radical approach. This formal request is designed to get all the major organisations in the world of policing to engage in talks to resolve the issue and provide the people of Lincolnshire with the level of funding and resources they deserve.
“I stand with the Chief Constable in asking key stakeholders to sit round the table to help us find a solution.”
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