Home Office is underfunding neighbourhood police officers

Just days before the budget is set for Thames Valley Police, the Home Office has dropped another bombshell.

Not only did the funding announcement in December leave the Force £9m worse of that we expected based on the Government’s own numbers, the latest news looks set to cost a further £2m each year due to underfunding from the Home Office.

This week I have written to the Home Secretary to raise my concerns about yet another blow to the local police budget.

In recent years we have more than doubled the number of neighbourhood police officers and a further increase is welcomed, but it needs to be accompanied by additional funding. Without this the growing financial pressure means reductions elsewhere in the policing and increases in council tax for residents.