Calls for reform of ‘outdated’ police funding formula
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner demands immediate action on funding formula review
The Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, Simon Foster, has criticised the government for delaying reform of the police funding formula, calling it “hopelessly outdated” and demanding immediate action.
The remarks follow a report from the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee published today, which criticised the government’s reliance on an old formula to allocate funding to police forces across the UK.
The committee claimed its advice on reform has repeatedly been ignored, stating the failure “is inexcusable.”
Simon Foster said the formula was last reviewed in 2013, describing the lack of action since then as a “chronic failure.” He highlighted that West Midlands Police is significantly impacted, with 520 fewer officers compared to 2010 and receiving over £40 million a year less than the current formula indicates it should.
“Many forces in rural, low crime areas now have more officers than ever,” Foster said, “while the West Midlands is denied the officers it needs to meet the demands of our area.”
He expressed concern over the new police reform white paper, suggesting that it could push funding formula reform as far back as 2034. He warned that this would leave West Midlands Police underfunded for over two decades, saying this was “unthinkable” and “deeply iniquitous.”
“Police funding needs to be fixed, and it needs to be fixed now,” Foster said.
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has this week announced the largest reforms to policing since the police service was founded 2 centuries ago.
You can read more about the Government's White Paper on police funding on the GOV.UK website.
You can also read the full document on 'A New Model for Policing' here.