Police forces in the East Midlands are set to receive a significant funding boost to help tackle anti-social behaviour, strengthen neighbourhood policing and make communities safer, the Home Secretary has announced.
As part of the government’s Plan for Change, all East Midlands forces will see funding increases of at least 5% next year to address local priorities and deliver safer streets.
This includes:
- £173 million for Lincolnshire, a cash increase of 5.5%.
- £299 million for Nottinghamshire, a cash increase of 5.5%.
- £270 million for Leicestershire, a cash increase of 5.7%.
- £259 million for Derbyshire, a cash increase of 5.7%.
- £192 million for Northamptonshire, a cash increase of 5.8%.
Nationally, the government is investing an additional £1 billion into policing, increasing the provisional police settlement fund to £19.5 billion for England and Wales.
The majority of this funding – up to £17.4 billion, an increase of £987 million compared to last year – will be allocated to Police and Crime Commissioners and Mayors. This funding will enable them to tackle crime, reduce anti-social behaviour and apprehend repeat offenders.
The funding will include:
- £339 million more for the police core grant to support general running costs and address local priorities. This represents a significant increase on last year’s £184 million rise.
- An extra £230 million to cover costs arising from changes to National Insurance Contributions (NICs), helping police forces balance their budgets.
- £100 million in new funding to begin recruiting 13,000 additional neighbourhood officers, community support officers and special constables, as announced by the Prime Minister.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“Today’s settlement delivers a substantial increase in funding for policing to support this government’s Safer Streets mission, central to our Plan for Change. This essential funding boost will allow forces to begin recruiting neighbourhood police officers and crack down on the crimes affecting our town centres and communities.
“We understand the financial and operational challenges police forces have faced in recent years. That’s why we’re providing this much-needed funding increase to help forces keep the public safe and protect our streets.
“We will work closely with forces nationally and regionally to ensure efficiency and innovation so that every penny delivers real value for the public.”
This funding forms a key part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change and will deliver on the government’s manifesto pledge to bolster and reform policing for communities.
The government has committed to placing 13,000 additional police and community support officers in neighbourhoods. Dedicated neighbourhood officers, who are visible, named and contactable, will return to local streets to work closely with residents and businesses.
The announcement follows a major package of police reform unveiled by the Home Secretary, which includes a new Police Performance Unit to monitor local performance and raise standards, and a new National Centre of Policing to develop technology and forensics.
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said:
“We are committed to delivering for people across the country and fulfilling our promise to reform policing, tackle anti-social behaviour and reduce knife crime.
“This settlement provides the significant funding increases forces need to tackle crime head-on and make our streets safer.”