Police in West Midlands facing over £40m of cuts, warns commissioner
The police and crime commissioner for the West Midlands said he is "deeply concerned" about the provisional police funding settlement.
Last updated 22nd Dec 2025
Police in the West Midlands are facing over £40m worth of cuts, according to the police and crime commissioner for the region.
The government announced the Provisional Police Funding Settlement last week, which Simon Foster says he is "deeply concerned" about.
PCC Simon Foster said: "The figures, as currently published, could mean cuts of up to £41.1 million for West Midlands Police in 2026/27.
“I am launching a public engagement on how much local council tax the people of the West Midlands want to invest into local policing. However, even if I decide to invest the total amount available, the force will still be facing cuts of £29.5 million in 2026/27."
Police forces in England are funded through government funding and council tax. Police and crime commissioners set a local police precept, which is part of council tax.
Mr Foster continued: “West Midlands Police are already seriously short-changed, as compared with the vast majority of other police forces in the country. By April 2026, we expect to still have at least 520 fewer police officers than in 2010 and a national funding formula that leaves us £43 million short every year.
“However, the vast majority of other police forces in the country now have as many police officers as they had in 2010, if not more police officers, than they have ever had in their force histories. That is deeply unfair to the people of the West Midlands.
“I am concerned this settlement could mean cuts to police officers and police staff, including cuts to neighbourhood policing. This settlement will make it more difficult to deliver on the government’s national missions, to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls.
“However, it is not too late. This is only the provisional funding settlement. The final settlement will not be announced until the 30 January 2026. We must end this postcode lottery in police funding. I am calling on government not to impose these cuts on policing in the West Midlands and instead return our 520 police officers and deliver fair funding for our region.
“I am committed to working with West Midlands Police and government, to ensure we are able to build on the progress that has been made and deliver on my Police and Crime Plan, the government’s national missions and in particular, our commitments to prevent and tackle crime, rebuild community policing, reduce violence, improve road safety, prioritise the rights and welfare of victims and keep the people, families, businesses and communities of the West Midlands safe and secure.”
The government announced the funding settlement last week (18 Dec). In a statement on the website, it said: "Total funding for police forces, including Counter-Terrorism Policing, will be up to £19.5 billion in 2026-27, an increase of up to £798 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. Total funding to territorial police forces will be up to £18.3 billion, an increase of up to £746 million compared to 2025-26. This equates to a 4.2% cash increase and a 2.0% real terms increase for police forces."