New shake-up for policing in East Lancashire

7:00pm Saturday 26th January 2013 in News

POLICING in East Lancashire is to undergo a major shake up after it emerged the force needs to save an extra £20 million than initially thought.

Lancashire police’s Chief Constable Steve Finnigan has announced plans to cut the number of policing divisions in the county by half, from six to three.

This move will see Eastern division, which covers Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, merge with Pennine division which covers Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

Police chiefs hope the restructuring will help the force meet government cuts of £60million increased from £43million.

As part of the restructuring there will be a reduction in senior management roles including the loss of one Chief Officer and a reduction in Chief Superintendents.

Chief Constable Finnigan said: “Changing our senior management structure in this way means that we can recognise significant savings without impacting on frontline policing or the services we provide to the public.

“As I have said many times, we will do all that we can to protect the frontline during these difficult and challenging financial times and this option allows us to do that.

“So far was have identified £40million, however, an additional £20million – with around £10.5m to be taken out before 1 April 2014 – is a different proposition and one which has pushed us to a solution which will see us deconstruct, in part, the model and structures that have served us and the public well for more than a decade.”

The structural changes which also includes Western division and Northern division and Southern division and Central division merging is expected to be in place by April 1, 2014.

A review of H division, with includes the force’s resources including horses, dogs, fire arms, road policing, public order and the police helicopter, will also take place along with G division, which includes force wide teams such as major investigation teams, serious and organised crime and counter terrorism.

The Chief Constable told his staff that these changes will be the biggest the force has seen in 17 years.

Comments (12)

8:30pm Sat 26 Jan 13

Scooby says...

All this while tax for the highest earners gets cut.. Tories and their pals eh?

The Police do a great job, such massive cuts can only be a bad thing
All this while tax for the highest earners gets cut.. Tories and their pals eh? The Police do a great job, such massive cuts can only be a bad thing Scooby

10:26pm Sat 26 Jan 13

mavrick says...

Is it any wonder the police are advertising vigorously for specials, ie unpaid volunteers, This is unacceptable. It is time every concerned citizen wrote to their M.P and demanded a rethink on the cuts.
Is it any wonder the police are advertising vigorously for specials, ie unpaid volunteers, This is unacceptable. It is time every concerned citizen wrote to their M.P and demanded a rethink on the cuts. mavrick

11:16pm Sat 26 Jan 13

Common_Sense1 says...

mavrick wrote:
Is it any wonder the police are advertising vigorously for specials, ie unpaid volunteers, This is unacceptable. It is time every concerned citizen wrote to their M.P and demanded a rethink on the cuts.
Council tax will go up. There is no way such massive savings will not impact the front line. I'm guessing the thin blue line is about to become almost non existent!
[quote][p][bold]mavrick[/bold] wrote: Is it any wonder the police are advertising vigorously for specials, ie unpaid volunteers, This is unacceptable. It is time every concerned citizen wrote to their M.P and demanded a rethink on the cuts.[/p][/quote]Council tax will go up. There is no way such massive savings will not impact the front line. I'm guessing the thin blue line is about to become almost non existent! Common_Sense1

7:54am Sun 27 Jan 13

Jack Herer says...

The police have got to be applauded here by reducing the senior ranks whilst protecting front line services.

Sensible policing under difficult financial constraints.
The police have got to be applauded here by reducing the senior ranks whilst protecting front line services. Sensible policing under difficult financial constraints. Jack Herer

7:59am Sun 27 Jan 13

Jack Herer says...

mavrick wrote:
Is it any wonder the police are advertising vigorously for specials, ie unpaid volunteers, This is unacceptable. It is time every concerned citizen wrote to their M.P and demanded a rethink on the cuts.
Yes - a rethink on the cuts.

Those quangos should never have gone. Diversity and equality officers - get the job adverts back up.

Where's the money coming from? Debt of course, lots of it. It's OK though because there is no financial crisis - it's a Tory lie.

Quick tell Greece as well. And Spain. Spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow - happy days again!
[quote][p][bold]mavrick[/bold] wrote: Is it any wonder the police are advertising vigorously for specials, ie unpaid volunteers, This is unacceptable. It is time every concerned citizen wrote to their M.P and demanded a rethink on the cuts.[/p][/quote]Yes - a rethink on the cuts. Those quangos should never have gone. Diversity and equality officers - get the job adverts back up. Where's the money coming from? Debt of course, lots of it. It's OK though because there is no financial crisis - it's a Tory lie. Quick tell Greece as well. And Spain. Spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow - happy days again! Jack Herer

9:28am Sun 27 Jan 13

ste.g says...

lets start by getting shot of the commisioners
lets start by getting shot of the commisioners ste.g

9:29am Sun 27 Jan 13

ste.g says...

lets start by getting shot of the commisioners
lets start by getting shot of the commisioners ste.g

9:35am Sun 27 Jan 13

mavrick says...

Jack Herer wrote:
mavrick wrote:
Is it any wonder the police are advertising vigorously for specials, ie unpaid volunteers, This is unacceptable. It is time every concerned citizen wrote to their M.P and demanded a rethink on the cuts.
Yes - a rethink on the cuts.

Those quangos should never have gone. Diversity and equality officers - get the job adverts back up.

Where's the money coming from? Debt of course, lots of it. It's OK though because there is no financial crisis - it's a Tory lie.

Quick tell Greece as well. And Spain. Spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow - happy days again!
Jack, your selective points have been undermined by the Tories actions, they have attacked the most vulnerable and easy targets, I wonder why they have not chased the tax dodgers with the same vigour, all in the same club perhaps. I have thought the police senior management structure needed reviewing for a long time, A quango by any other name. maybe if a lot more management structures were looked at from an outside perspective it would open a few eyes. I would be grateful if you kindly stop referring to the last government as a labour government, It was anything but. Tony and Gordon should be made to explain where the money went on the NHS computer system, £12 billion I believe, nobody seems to have been called to account. I could point to other unexplained costly **** ups but it won't change anything. but if you notice despite all the financial woes of the countries mentioned, Those at the top seem be completely unscathed, funny that. It is always those at the bottom who suffer.
[quote][p][bold]Jack Herer[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]mavrick[/bold] wrote: Is it any wonder the police are advertising vigorously for specials, ie unpaid volunteers, This is unacceptable. It is time every concerned citizen wrote to their M.P and demanded a rethink on the cuts.[/p][/quote]Yes - a rethink on the cuts. Those quangos should never have gone. Diversity and equality officers - get the job adverts back up. Where's the money coming from? Debt of course, lots of it. It's OK though because there is no financial crisis - it's a Tory lie. Quick tell Greece as well. And Spain. Spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow - happy days again![/p][/quote]Jack, your selective points have been undermined by the Tories actions, they have attacked the most vulnerable and easy targets, I wonder why they have not chased the tax dodgers with the same vigour, all in the same club perhaps. I have thought the police senior management structure needed reviewing for a long time, A quango by any other name. maybe if a lot more management structures were looked at from an outside perspective it would open a few eyes. I would be grateful if you kindly stop referring to the last government as a labour government, It was anything but. Tony and Gordon should be made to explain where the money went on the NHS computer system, £12 billion I believe, nobody seems to have been called to account. I could point to other unexplained costly **** ups but it won't change anything. but if you notice despite all the financial woes of the countries mentioned, Those at the top seem be completely unscathed, funny that. It is always those at the bottom who suffer. mavrick

12:01pm Sun 27 Jan 13

nmclean77 says...

I don't understand how any force can make cuts without affecting front-line services, and here's why - cuts are being made to support staff, so front-line numbers are technically not reduced. However, the job title of "support staff" is exactly what it says - staff who offer support, and this support is predominantly supporting front line staff. So, if support staff are cut, then the front line staff will be taken off the front line (the street) in order to complete the task which support staff would carry out.

This also proves false economy because forces could pay support staff £18k per year to build files and do the associated administration, and because they work doing this day-in day-out, they are more efficient. However, what is happening now is that officers who could be paid up to £37k per year are having to do their own files and associated admin tasks, but because they are not working on these at all times, they are generally less efficient, therefore it takes them longer and they are paid more.

My analogy is that you cannot reduce your weekly shopping budget by 20% with reducing the quality or quantity of food you could buy?
I don't understand how any force can make cuts without affecting front-line services, and here's why - cuts are being made to support staff, so front-line numbers are technically not reduced. However, the job title of "support staff" is exactly what it says - staff who offer support, and this support is predominantly supporting front line staff. So, if support staff are cut, then the front line staff will be taken off the front line (the street) in order to complete the task which support staff would carry out. This also proves false economy because forces could pay support staff £18k per year to build files and do the associated administration, and because they work doing this day-in day-out, they are more efficient. However, what is happening now is that officers who could be paid up to £37k per year are having to do their own files and associated admin tasks, but because they are not working on these at all times, they are generally less efficient, therefore it takes them longer and they are paid more. My analogy is that you cannot reduce your weekly shopping budget by 20% with reducing the quality or quantity of food you could buy? nmclean77

12:10pm Sun 27 Jan 13

Excluded again says...

Less money spent on the police. Fewer police and a less effective service.

You get what you voted for - cuts too deep and too fast.
Less money spent on the police. Fewer police and a less effective service. You get what you voted for - cuts too deep and too fast. Excluded again

4:21pm Sun 27 Jan 13

Henry Bolingbroke says...

I'm afraid that having to cut another £20m from the policing budget. where around 83% of expenditure goes on salaries, means only one thing: job losses; and those losses will take two forms:
1. Warranted police officers will not be replaced when they retire, thereby removing their salaries from the wage bill. Lancashire Constabulary has lost over 550 since 2010 by this means alone, which represents a reduction of
about sixteen percent.
2. Support staff, including PCSOs, will be made redundant, as there is simply no other way to save the sums required.
The only vaguely political point I will make is this; I always thought that the first duty of government was the protection of the country from both external and internal threats. Bearing in mind what is happening to HM Forces and the police, I can't see how this one can argue that they are fulfilling that duty, can you?
I'm afraid that having to cut another £20m from the policing budget. where around 83% of expenditure goes on salaries, means only one thing: job losses; and those losses will take two forms: 1. Warranted police officers will not be replaced when they retire, thereby removing their salaries from the wage bill. Lancashire Constabulary has lost over 550 since 2010 by this means alone, which represents a reduction of about sixteen percent. 2. Support staff, including PCSOs, will be made redundant, as there is simply no other way to save the sums required. The only vaguely political point I will make is this; I always thought that the first duty of government was the protection of the country from both external and internal threats. Bearing in mind what is happening to HM Forces and the police, I can't see how this one can argue that they are fulfilling that duty, can you? Henry Bolingbroke

10:48pm Sun 27 Jan 13

Good call says...

mavrick wrote:
Is it any wonder the police are advertising vigorously for specials, ie unpaid volunteers, This is unacceptable. It is time every concerned citizen wrote to their M.P and demanded a rethink on the cuts.
Specials have been around for a long time, they aren't because of the cuts.It is something that near enough anyone can do, providing that they haven't got any serious criminal convictions, have a reasonable level of fitness and health, and 4 hours a week to spare.
[quote][p][bold]mavrick[/bold] wrote: Is it any wonder the police are advertising vigorously for specials, ie unpaid volunteers, This is unacceptable. It is time every concerned citizen wrote to their M.P and demanded a rethink on the cuts.[/p][/quote]Specials have been around for a long time, they aren't because of the cuts.It is something that near enough anyone can do, providing that they haven't got any serious criminal convictions, have a reasonable level of fitness and health, and 4 hours a week to spare. Good call

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