The Government should urgently revise its “broken” funding formula, according to Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey.
Matt has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper calling for the new Government to revise the way Cleveland Police is funded.
He’s also asking the Government to prioritise Cleveland’s needs when allocating the additional 13,000 community police officers promised during the general election.
The latest annual report by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary points out that police forces in the most challenging areas often get the worst funding to tackle it.
Annual Report
The State of Policing: The Annual Assessment of Policing in England and Wales 2023 outlines that police funding has become more reliant on money raised as part of Council Tax bills.
That means more deprived areas – like Cleveland – which often have the highest crime rates, receive proportionately less funding.
The report states that Cleveland Police has the lowest number of officers compared to March 2010, with numbers down 12 per cent compared to 14 years ago.
In comparison, areas like Surrey and Cambridgeshire – with significantly lower crime rates – have seen officer numbers increase by more than 20 per cent in the same time period.
Fight for fairer funding
Matt said: “One of the key areas for concern in the report is police funding in England and Wales.
“I echo the chief inspector’s views to such an extent that I made fighting for fairer funding one of my key election promises earlier this year.
“One of the results of deprivation in places like Cleveland is that it suffers higher rates of crime and antisocial behaviour than more prosperous areas. As a result, it is most in need of measures to tackle crime and its root causes.
“However, in recent years, police funding has increasingly relied on cash raised via the policing precept, which is part of annual Council Tax bills.
“It’s far from fair to ask those least able to afford it – but who are most in need – to pay more towards policing their communities.
“The police funding formula hasn’t been revised since 2013 and is long overdue an overhaul.
“It is no longer fit for purpose and needs to be changed to benefit areas in desperate need of help – like Cleveland.”
Worrying situation
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke singles out Cleveland in his report when making his case for funding reform.
Mr Cooke describes the situation as “worrying, considering its policing area contains some of the most deprived communities in England and Wales.”
He said: “In the year to September 2023, Cleveland also had the highest rate of police recorded crime per 1,000 population at 141.7 offences.”
Read the PCC's letter to the Home Secretary