Essex Police Chief warns of difficult choices amid ‘unfair funding’ concerns

Ben-Julian Harrington, Chief Constable of Essex Police, informed the BBC that difficult decisions will be necessary if the force’s funding situation remains “unfairly funded.” Mr. Harrington stated that financial constraints are impeding his ability to retain officers and “keep Essex safe.” The force operates with a budget of £363.7m, which is £40m less than the allocation for Merseyside Police, despite encompassing an area five times larger. A spokeswoman for the Home Office indicated that the police funding settlement would allocate £406.2m to Essex Police for the upcoming year. She further mentioned that the force is set to receive an additional £3.7m to cover the most recent police pay award. Police federations assert that the government has failed to recognize the “acute resource crunch” experienced by police forces. Mr. Harrington indicated that he could not dismiss the possibility of redundancies among office-based personnel at Essex Police if the force does not receive a “fairer deal.” He emphasized that declining to recruit new officers due to insufficient funds for their salaries would be a last resort, noting that wages constitute 80% of the force’s budget. The police chief, who assumed his position in 2018, stated: “The reality is if I don’t have enough money then I can’t do all the things I’d want to do.” He continued: “It means we’re going to have to make difficult choices about what we do.” He added: “It will put pressure on our staff, our officers who work incredibly hard already.” Essex Police currently employs approximately 3,800 officers, marking its highest total since 2010, positioning it as one of the largest forces per capita in England outside of London. Data reveals that, with the exception of Wiltshire Police, it is the lowest funded force nationally when considering funding allocated per resident. A spokesperson for the force further noted that the expenses for maintaining its estate have risen by £4m to £5m in recent years. When questioned about his definition of a fairer deal for Essex, Mr. Harrington responded: “We’re not fairly funded in comparison to other parts of the country, it’s as simple as that.” He continued: “It’s important to recognise the 1.9 million residents that live here, the diversity of challenges and to reward the good work this force has done.” He also mentioned that officers are experiencing this pressure, leading some to leave policing, with their colleagues subsequently needing to fill the vacancies. He further stated: “I read first-hand the reasons they leave, because that’s how much I care about this.” He observed: “I see people say, ‘I’d love to stay but you know what, less stress, less pressure, more money – I’ll go somewhere else’.” He concluded: “That really annoys me and frustrates me that they are being forced to make those choices to go elsewhere.” For updates on Essex news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external sites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.