To our Lincolnshire communities,
I write to you today to talk to you about where we are in our funding and improvement journey, and to let you know what the future of the service you receive from Lincolnshire Police could look like.
I expect you are well aware of our funding challenges as it’s a topic we’ve been talking about for more years than we care to remember, such has been the state of the inadequate funding we have received for decades. In short, Lincolnshire Police is the lowest funded force per head of population in the country, which is having a very real impact on our ability to protect communities, deliver visible policing, and meet the rising complexity of modern demand.
Connected to this, Lincolnshire Police has been on a substantial and rapid improvement journey since the start of this year following an independent inspection of the Force by HMICFRS.
Subsequently, we commissioned an independent review of our finances through the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) – the UK-based international accountancy membership and standard-setting body, working with governments and the accountancy profession around the world.
That report has now come back to us and tells us that “… financial management within Lincolnshire Police is robust, with clear oversight, disciplined budget control, and a culture of operational cost-consciousness”.
Furthermore, it “…. confirms the central challenge long acknowledged by both the Force and the Police and Crime Commissioner: Lincolnshire remains structurally underfunded, and this imposes significant constraints on its ability to deliver effective and sustainable policing in a large, rural geography”.
In summary, “the report concludes that Lincolnshire’s current funding settlement is not sufficient to support a sustainable policing model in the medium term. Without structural reform or a revised national funding formula the Force will continue to face a cycle of short-term balancing measures and reactive budget setting”.
You can read the full 90-page report here.
This has been shared with our HMICFRS and Government colleagues and makes one thing undeniable: efficient financial management alone is no longer enough.
In this county we are used to driving efficiencies and innovation and, sadly, are well used to doing all we can to make the books balance, but there comes a point when doing more with less is no longer possible. We are at that point.
The Chief Constable has made it very clear in multiple forums that without further assistance to relieve the financial burdens placed upon us, the result can only be significant reductions in the numbers of officers and staff employed by Lincolnshire Police. This will inevitably lead to a reduction in the service we can offer to keep Lincolnshire safe and will undoubtedly be felt by our communities.
Without additional support, we will need to begin planning from October for a reduction of 190 police officers and 180 police staff. This is in addition to recent reductions in non-pay budgets as well as significant planned reductions to both fleet by 5% and estate by 40%.
Against this backdrop, Lincolnshire Police continue to work hard to protect the public of Lincolnshire.
Nationally, Lincolnshire Police charge and summons to court more people as a proportion than many other police forces across the country; they achieve the most rape convictions of all forces, which speaks volumes about their investigations and file quality; they are first nationally for the speed with which they answer 999 calls; they also come top for finalising a case at a Magistrates’ first hearing, which means swifter outcomes for victims and their loved ones; and are second in the country for both hate crime and domestic abuse conviction rates.
Actions to detain wanted suspects are prioritised based on threat, risk, and harm, and the Force has been recognised by the HMICFRS inspection team for doing a good job of investigating the most serious crimes, which include violent assaults. Local teams continue to problem solve and engage with communities to tackle neighbourhood issues, which was recognised positively in that HMICFRS assessment, particularly in respect of tackling antisocial behaviour and rural crime effectively, and the focus on the crimes that will cause the most harm to people in Lincolnshire.
It is also notable that national crime data ranks Lincolnshire as being the 12th safest county in the country, having been ranked 15th previously, and crime is reducing in the county.
We continue to do a good job to keep Lincolnshire safe, but we will undoubtedly see a degradation of service without future investment. The CIPFA report acknowledges that we are reaching the absolute edge of the financial cliff, and CIPFA auditors have advised us that “Lincolnshire Police is now at real risk of having to issue a section 114 notice” – the equivalent of a public body declaring it can no longer set a balanced budget. If such a notice is issued, it will be the first time ever a police force has been forced to do so.
We of course want to avoid this situation at all costs for the safety of the public and our officers and staff that give unwavering public service to Lincolnshire residents and visitors.
The Chief and I are grateful to the Government so far for their assistance, in particular the recent £5.7m sustainability funding that was allocated in April, allowing us to maintain our current services. This stability package meant we have been able to delay any decisions relating to workforce reductions for six months but does not increase our workforce or protect against long-term funding gaps. We continue discussions with the Government to seek a long-term sustainable solution.
I am also reaching out to stakeholders and partners in the county – our MPs, elected officials, local authority and other public and private sector colleagues – to ask for their help in raising their voices to help us secure the fair and long-term funding solution we need. It is inevitable that any degradation of the service provided by policing will have a ripple effect on the services provided by other organisations we work closely with.
While the financial future at the moment continues to look bleak, we remain hopeful and engaged with those who can help. Officers continue day in, and day out, to police the county and keep Lincolnshire safe. They are proud to do so, and officers and staff arrive at work day and night not knowing what their shift might hold but determined to make a difference to the lives of others. It is this that keeps us ploughing forward in these difficult times because we vehemently want to protect and improve the services we provide. Our own people and the communities we serve deserve nothing less.
Yours sincerely,
Marc Jones
Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire
Well here’s an idea, how about we get rid of Marc Jones and all his support staff, leave policing priorities up to the Chief Constable and use the money saved to put more feet on the streets. Pretty radical, huh?