Lincolnshire Police Chief Warns of Staff Cuts Amid “Untenable” Funding Situation

The chief constable has issued a warning regarding potential reductions in officer and staff numbers, attributing this to the “untenable” financial state of his police force. Paul Gibson of Lincolnshire Police and Marc Jones, the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), have confirmed sending a joint letter seeking assistance from the Home Office, the College of Policing, and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). This action comes as the force faces a projected £57m deficit spanning the next four years. A spokesperson for HMICFRS stated: “We can confirm that we received this letter.” They added, “We are continually monitoring the force as part of our ongoing assessment process and a full inspection report will follow in due course.” While Mr Gibson has not specified the extent of potential workforce reductions, he indicated that service quality would decline should the force’s underfunding persist. Both Mr Gibson and Mr Jones stated that their correspondence outlined Lincolnshire Police’s current financial standing and requested “systemic assistance in addressing the imbalanced funding formula for policing in the county”. The PCC has consistently asserted that Lincolnshire Police receives the lowest funding across England and Wales. The force itself noted that it has endeavoured to resolve this matter for many years, yet despite its limited expenditure, it maintains it is providing “value for money”. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Gibson conveyed that the current funding levels are insufficient and would lead to a “significant deterioration of service”. Mr Gibson elaborated, stating: “I think in terms of the size of the cuts that would be required, we’d have to look very, very carefully but we would have to reduce officer numbers and also staff numbers,” He continued, “By how many and how quickly is something we’re carefully modelling. At the moment, we’ve been funding our organisation by reserves, so with our savings account.” He concluded, “What we’ve asked for from the government is a £10m reoccurring uplift.” Mr Jones commented that they are confronting an unparalleled financial challenge, made worse by adjustments to National Insurance and recent pay awards. He emphasized that police funding necessitates “a radical approach”. Mr Gibson further stated: “We have been stating our case for some time in relation to our untenable funding position.” He added, “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.” The force indicated that its medium-term financial plan projects a deficit of £57m across the four-year span commencing 2024-25, relative to an annual budget of £168m. It is currently exploring a savings plan to tackle this shortfall.