Thames Valley Police Commissioner criticises new funding settlement

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, has criticised the government, after last week’s announcement of a police funding settlement, which he says leaves Thames Valley Police, with nearly £9 million less than expected.

The settlement confirms that the force’s core funding will be £8.8 million under initial projections.

Commenting on the news, Matthew Barber said, “This settlement is terrible news for Thames Valley Police. While the government push headlines claiming they are investing more in policing, the harsh reality is that yesterday’s settlement means nearly £9m less than we were expecting.

"Even with the significant burden the government are looking to pass on to local council taxpayers, this still leaves a huge gap in our funding plans for policing next year.

“I am appalled by the way the Government has handled this process which leaves forces struggling to balance budgets and is in complete contradiction to the Government’s own Comprehensive Spending Review."

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