Lincolnshire’s Chief Constable, Paul Gibson, is optimistic about avoiding significant budget cuts as he readies for a meeting with the governmental Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson. In his conversation on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Gibson gave details on a worrying £65 million deficit that Lincolnshire Police are predicted to face in the upcoming three years. This financial pressure threatens specialist teams dealing with sex crimes and child abuse cases.
Although the police force received £174.5 million for this financial year, showing a rise of 6.2% from the previous year, Mr Gibson underlined that the Lincolnshire Police force remains among the least funded in the country. This underfunding arises, largely, from the end of the rural policing grant. He also used the opportunity to warn about the impending risk to up to 400 jobs due to the financial pressures, potentially causing a 25% reduction in staff.
In a bid to maintain community policing, Mr Gibson has initiated conversations with the Home Office. He emphasised the importance of this branch of their operations for establishing trust within local communities. “It is a good force that can deliver,” he expressed, “but we need fair funding to ensure its improvement.” A representative from the Home Office reassured that efforts were in place to provide resources for neighbourhood policing and crime prevention.
This article is based on the original report by www.bbc.com, further adapted by The Lincoln Post.
