Police commissioner urges more funding to Lincolnshire Police force
Marc Jones said that without additional funds, the force could go bust
Lincolnshire's Police and Crime Commissioner has urged the government to step in to stop Lincolnshire Police from running out of money.
In an open letter, Marc Jones urged ministers to increase the amount of funding being provided to the force to stop it from filing a Section 114 notice - which effectively would declare itself bankrupt.
Previously, a report found that Lincolnshire Police's funds were being tightly and robustly controlled.
It added that it confirmed "the central challenge long acknowledged by both the Force and the Police and Crime Commissioner: Lincolnshire remains structurally underfunded, and this imposes significant constraints on its ability to deliver effective and sustainable policing in a large, rural geography."
The report concluded that the current level of funding being offered to Lincolnshire Police is not enough and will become unsustainable in the medium-term, should the government not act.
Jones explained that, despite the successes of making the budget balance, there is only so much they can do with the funds that are available. He added that the force was now at the point where "doing more with less is no longer possible".
He said: "The Chief Constable has made it very clear in multiple forums that without further assistance to relieve the financial burdens placed upon us, the result can only be significant reductions in the numbers of officers and staff employed by Lincolnshire Police.
"This will inevitably lead to a reduction in the service we can offer to keep Lincolnshire safe and will undoubtedly be felt by our communities."
He went to say that should Lincolnshire Police not have enough funds, as many as 190 police officers and 180 police staff will be cut from the force.
"I am also reaching out to stakeholders and partners in the county – our MPs, elected officials, local authority and other public and private sector colleagues – to ask for their help in raising their voices to help us secure the fair and long-term funding solution we need," he said.
"It is inevitable that any degradation of the service provided by policing will have a ripple effect on the services provided by other organisations we work closely with."