Lancashire police face funding black hole (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lancashire police face funding black hole

6:26pm Sunday 5th July 2009 in

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LANCASHIRE police are set for a million-pound-plus gap in their finances because of a forecasted fall in income.

Expected cuts in central Government and council tax funding are expected to create a headache for all of England and Wales’ 43 police forces between now and 2014.

And while Lancashire Constabulary’s budget has yet to be set for that period, members of the police authority expect its black hole to run into seven figures.

The tightening of belts has already begun in the county, with the force aiming to make £3.6million in ‘productivity and effic-iency gains’ in 2009/10.

When these savings were announced in February, Lancashire Chief Constable Steve Finnigan said savings had been identified “across all our back office function in an attempt to protect front-line policing”.

Coun Malcolm Doherty, chairman of Lancashire Police Authority, said plans were now being made for savings in the coming years. To be totally honest, we don’t know how bad it will be at the moment,” he said.

“It is the wrong time of year for financial predic-tions.

“But obviously we know there will be cuts and the Government have told us so.

“We will be doing everything we can to avoid front-line cuts and I know the chief constable is looking to do things in a smarter more efficient way, rather than cutting serv-ices.”

In September last year funding for the constab-ulary’s 420 police comm-unity support officers was secured until 2011, after the Government committed to provide further funds.

But fears have been raised that the number of PCSOs on the streets could be cut after that time because of a lack of funding.

John O’Reilly, of the Lancashire Police Feder-ation, which represents rank and file officers across the county, said: “We have made it quite clear to the chief constable that we would not support any cuts in officer numbers.

“We want any reduction to be kept to the minimum possible and preferably zero.

“The public want to see officers on the streets.”

Lancashire Constabulary refused to comment on the speculation before its budget was set later this year.

Last week, Cumbria Police Authority revealed the force could face a £7.3million shortfall in its budget between next year and 2014.

It has said it would protect face-to-face policing, so any efficiencies made would be in backroom costs, rather than affecting front-line duties.