Seven Members of Parliament (MPs) from Lincolnshire have urgently requested a meeting with the Home Office due to concerns that the county’s police force might face financial difficulties. The MPs, including Dr Caroline Johnson, Sir John Hayes, Sir Edward Leigh, Victoria Atkins, Gareth Davies, Alicia Kearns, and Richard Tice, have expressed fears that Lincolnshire Police may be forced to issue a Section 114 notice. This would effectively declare the force insolvent, which could lead to the loss of 190 police officers and 180 police staff by October, severely impacting public safety.
Despite the Home Office asserting a 6.2% increase in the police budget, amounting to £174.5 million, the MPs maintain that without additional support, the force’s competency in maintaining law and order could be massively compromised.
In a letter supported by conclusions from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), the MPs predict that Lincolnshire could potentially be the first police force to issue a Section 114 notice. This outcome would make local communities exceedingly vulnerable. The Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire has been approached for comments on the situation.
The original version of this article was produced by the BBC and repurposed for The Lincoln Post.
