Police Budget Position

Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall has received a report today at his Public Accountability Conference showing that it is anticipated that the overall budget position will show a predicted overspend of £925,000 by the end of the budget year in March 2018.

Mr McCall heard that the majority of the overspend comes from Cumbria Constabulary which relates to the unexpected additional pay award above the Government’s public sector pay cap, higher than forecast officer numbers and additional overtime as a result of the high visibility policing in response to the raised terrorism threats in the summer.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall said: “I welcome the pay award, which has been 1% basic pay increase with a 1% bonus. This rightly reflects the hard work and dedication that our officers and staff do on a daily basis.

“We had budgeted for the 1% pay increase but not the 1% bonus. I am disappointed that funding for the bonus has not been provided centrally by the Government. I have expressed this disappointment directly to the policing minister Nick Hurd when I met with him recently.

“I am working with the Chief Constable to find a way forward to manage the situation. We are effectively half-way through the budget year and we will be looking at pro-actively reducing the overspend as much as possible. However, we have to be realistic and I am determined to maintain our policing presence in the county, and will consider all contingencies to deliver this.”

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