Police in the West Midlands are facing a real-terms cut of £247m next year, the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

Today the government announced that core funding for police budgets will remain exactly the same as last year.

Taking into account inflation, that means the West Midlands POLICE FORCE will fall a real-terms cut in excess of £247m.

The additional £270m of funding the government claims to be investing in the police nationally depends entirely on local Police and Crime Commissioners raising the police precept in their areas, which the Liberal Democrats have branded a “stealth council tax rise.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Shires commented:

“The Conservatives are ignoring calls from senior officers to increase investment in our police.

“The impact of this cut in police budgets will be felt in our communities and in our streets.

“With crime rising, the government should have increased police budgets in real terms.

“Even the Conservatives’ attempt at a stealth council tax rise won’t be enough to protect local police forces.

“I’m genuinely shocked that Ministers are ignoring the alarming rise in serious crime with this short-sighted decision.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The Home Office Police Core Settlement announced today for AREA in 2018/19 (link, p.4) is exactly the same as in 2017/18 (link, p.6)

If funding across the country had kept pace with annual inflation of 3.1%, it would have been increased by £125.7m (ONS, link)

The government’s announcement on police funding can be found here. It says the government is “empowering locally elected police and crime commissioners to raise precept contributions by up to £1 a month for a typical household. Together, this will mean force budgets will increase by up to £270 million nationally.”