PCC in call for funding to deliver pay rise

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC, has demanded that extra funding be made available to cover the two per cent pay rise announced for police officers.
Dame Vera Baird.Dame Vera Baird.
Dame Vera Baird.

The Government recently announced a lifting of the pay cap for police officers, but no cash to pay for it.

Northumbria Police has received the biggest cut in government grant out of all police forces in England and Wales since 2010 – a reduction of £123million from its revenue budget. The Force has lost more than 900 police officers and 923 police staff and PCSOs.

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The National Audit Office and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) have both made clear that Northumbria Police has been hit hardest of all England and Wales’ police forces through these financial cuts.

Northumbria Police has budgeted for a one per cent pay award across the board and to increase this by an extra one per cent will cost £1.55million.

Dame Vera said: “Let me be absolutely clear, our hard-working officers and staff fully deserve a pay rise and I want to see this happen. The Government now needs to fund it. Police officers have told me they would rather decline a pay rise than lose further police officers. Cutting more officers is a very likely outcome, a ridiculous position which shouldn’t even be a consideration.

“In my letter I have set out the perilous financial position Northumbria Police has been put into by government cuts which, whatever they say, are continuing to this day. They speak about reserves deposited in police force bank accounts, but we have tiny reserves because we have had to play them in to manage these huge cuts.

“I have set out the financial position and asked Amber Rudd how she suggests the Force pays for a rise. We strongly suggest that she must pay for it.”