Chief Constable: "I'd like to see Essex police get a fair share of national funding"
BJ Harrington speaks to Greatest Hits Radio ahead of the Chancellor's spending review
Chief Constable of Essex police is calling for a three year settlement and a "fair share of national police budget" for the force in this week's Spending Review, made by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
For its size, Essex Police is the third worst funded force in the country.
In February 2025 the Government provided £100m of extra funding for policing nationally and Essex Police’s share of this funding was £2.3 million.
However Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said the additional funding was "not enough" to cover the whole of the Essex Police budget shortfall.
The Chancellor is set to announce her Spending Review on 11 June.
It will outline day-to-day departmental budgets over the next three years and investment budgets over the next four.
Chief Constable Ben Julian Harrington tells Greatest Hits Radio he will lose his officers if the force doesn't receive "fair government funding".
"I would like to see a three year settlement which sets out what we're going to get.
"I'd like to see policing protected and in particular forces like Essex get their fare share of national funding.
"Our officers must be paid what they need, otherwise they will leave.
"We've reaped the reward of the investments we've made but you've got to give me enough money to do that."
"Policing is the service that is there 24/7 which allows people of our communities to thrive and live and be educated.
"I hope the government can give us what we need to keep doing that."