Gloomy Outlook for Surrey Police Staffing

Published on: 3 Oct, 2024
Updated on: 3 Oct, 2024

Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend at PCC panel September 26. Surrey County Council live stream

By Emily Dalton

local democracy reporter

Staffing cuts at Surrey Police could be in the pipeline as the force attempts to fill a potential £23.4 million financial hole.

Surrey Police have to make the savings in the next four years and government-agreed pay increases for police officers and other staff in addition to inflation have added to the difficult financial position.

Recognising the financial pressures on forces, the government has awarded a special grant of £175 million in 2024/25 to fund the 4.75 per cent officer pay award. Out of money set aside to cover the pay increases, Surrey has been awarded just £2.1 million to cover the costs.

As Surrey gets a smaller slice of government funding, calculated by a formula, there is less money to go around. The police allocation formula (PAF) is worked out through various data sources, including population density and the relative need for policing by area.

The nature of the formula grant system means the annual money allocated to Surrey covers just 45 per cent of the total budget whereas other areas such as Northumbria get 80 per cent.

In a Police and Crime Panel meeting on September 26, Surrey Police’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Kelvin Menon, said “it is too early to say” exactly what savings that will need to be made and where.

The CFO said it is likely the government’s funding will only cover pay increases for Surrey’s police officers so the force will have to bridge the £2.4 million gap to cover the costs of police staff itself. Police staff may be cut as the force has to keep a base number of 2,253 police officers in place.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Richard Wilson (Lib Dem, Bagshot and North Windlesham) said: “Due to the government’s penalty regime in place to ensure officer numbers are maintained, any reduction can only come from police staff. This means the people helping front-line officers in investigations and forensics.”

The CFO told the panel that work was also being done into making savings by changing shift patterns, reducing overtime and forensics, looking at the benefits of upgrading administrative and data systems, potentially reducing vehicle numbers and a detailed budget review by area.

Modelling different scenarios, the CFO said Surrey Police might have to make up to £27.6m gap as a worst-case scenario, or £21.5m on an optimistic basis. Mr Menon added: “The Chief and the PCC are both committed to try and minimise any impact on residents.”

If the savings cannot be reduced by the time the budget is set in February 2025, the CFO said Surrey Police will have to use some of its reserves.

Uncertain future for officer numbers

In a national drive to increase police officers, the previous government set Surrey Police an “uplift” target of 2,253 officers and awarded £48,000 for every officer recruited above the baseline. Although the force recruited an additional 22 officers it now remains uncertain whether the £48k bonus will be received every year, accounting for the extra officers.

Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, said: “If [the bonus] ceases to be the case then officer numbers will have to be reduced.” She said the reduction would happen through “natural wastage”, meaning officers leaving the force for a new job or change in career.

Surrey currently loses an average of 17 officers a month, creating overall a 10 per cent vacancy in the force.

A gloomy atmosphere took over the meeting as the PCC repeated there was a lot of uncertainty in the new government’s policy going forward so the force is unable to forecast officer numbers beyond 2024/25. She said that constables have been told not to expect any more funding.

Cllr Wilson criticised Mrs Townsend during the meeting, stating the PCC ballot paper for her re-election had the description, “More police, safer streets”. He asked: “Shouldn’t voters take that as a commitment that the number of officers is going to increase?”

Mrs Townsend said the number of officers has increased and is still increasing, and argued it was for the chief constable to decide where officers and staff are best deployed. She added: Both the chief constable and I have both made commitments to ensure that we have more officers out and about on the streets.”