22.01.20
More than £1.1bn in funding for the policing system
The government has today (Jan 22) announced the largest influx of funding for the police system in a decade.
The amount of funding presented to the policing system for 2020 to 2021 will increase by more than £1.1 bn, totalling £15.2 bn, if Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) take full advantage of flexibility to set the police precept.
This signifies an almost 10% surge on the core (resource) grant provided to forces last year, enabling the police to eliminate crime and deliver on the people’s priorities.
The funding will progress on a number of existing government commitments to bear down on the criminals who seek to do our communities and our country harm. It will allow forces to recruit 6,000 of the 20,000 additional police officers by the end of March 2021.
£150m will be used to help aid the fight against organised crime and continue to crack down on online child abuse. Tackling serous violence will also be supported with £39m, which includes £20m for county lines drug dealing.
Following the announcement from the Home Secretary yesterday (Jan 21) with regards to funding for counter-terrorism, policing will total £906m in 2020 to 2021, a year-on-year increase of £90m.
PPCs will have access to £8,702m in government grants, which is when compared to last year is an extra £667m. Opportunity to increase local funding in England by setting the council tax referendum limit to £10 for a typical (Band D) property.
If all PPCs in England heightened this flexibility and asked average households to contribute less than 20 pence per week, this would generate around £248m in more funding for forces in England next year.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “This government is delivering on the people’s priorities by giving policing the biggest funding increase in a decade.
“It will mean more officers tackling the crime blighting our streets, so people can feel safe in their communities.
“The police must now make full use of this significant investment to deliver for the public.”