Thames Valley Police short-changed by government over state visits

Residents in Thames Valley are being short-changed by the Home Office for not properly funding the full costs of state visits in Windsor.

Matthew Barber, Police & Crime Commissioner, has written to the Home Secretary today demanding that the Home Office think again about the flawed funding arrangements for these events of national significance.

Thames Valley Police has a proud history of policing moments of national importance, including royal weddings and the funeral of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The frequency of these events has however increased with a regular schedule of state visits taking place in Berkshire whilst Buckingham Palace undergoes refurbishment.

The Home Office will meet additional costs, such as hire of equipment, but will not fund the actual cost of officer time for the police force hosting the event. Police Officers come from across the country to support these events, and their own local police forces can reclaim the cost of their time. Thames Valley Police are not being allowed to make the same claim for police officer time. In the case of the visit of President Trump last year, known as Op Liberty this means that the Force is unable to reclaim around £900,000.

This means that not only are officers drawn away from other policing duties to ensure these large events pass off safely, but local council tax payers are also left short-changed as a result.

Despite the move of many big events from central London whilst Buckingham Palace is being refurbished, the Metropolitan Police still receive a share of more than £250m in capital cities grants which helps the police to deal with the extra burden of large-scale events.