Defence Online

Police to receive £15 billion to fight crime and increase recruitment

Homeland December 28, 2020

The Police will receive up to £15.8 billion to build back safer and cut crime, the government has announced.

The 2021 to 2022 funding package will include over £400 million to recruit 20,000 extra officers by 2023, building on the success of the first year of the recruitment campaign – which has already delivered almost 6,000 additional police officers.

Alongside getting more officers out on the street, the funding settlement will enable policing to tackle serious violence and increase the number of specialist officers tackling terrorism and serious organised crime, including child sexual abuse and drug trafficking.

The 2021 to 2022 funding package means an increase of up to £636 million on last year, should police and crime commissioners (PCCs) take full advantage of police precept flexibility.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “We have asked more of the police than ever before during the coronavirus pandemic – the British people and I are extremely grateful for their dedication.

“I am absolutely committed to giving the police the resources they need – this funding package delivers on that.

“It will allow us to continue to put more police on the streets, and reduce crime as we build back safer from the pandemic.”

Funding for Counter-Terrorism policing will total up to £914 million, including money for armed policing and more officers. In addition, Counter-Terrorism policing will receive £32 million to establish a new Counter-Terrorism Operations Centre to keep the country safe from a range of threats.

The publication of the provisional funding settlement opens a period of consultation. The final police funding settlement will be debated in Parliament ahead of the new financial year.

image from Shutterstock

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Post written by: Matt Brown