Budget cuts will mean fewer recruits for police

From the archive, first published Saturday 18th Feb 2006.

Fewer police officers will be recruited and council taxpayers will pay more for police services as Thames Valley Police cuts £9.5m from its budget.

At a meeting yesterday (February 17) Thames Valley Police Authority agreed a budget of more than £329m for 2006-7.

The force has had to cut £9.5m from its budget after the Government reduced its annual grant.

The force hoped to take on 97 new police officers, but the cuts will mean only recruit 37 new constables.

Acting Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: "Originally we wanted 40 extra officers to come in as sergeants too, but what has gone into the budget is sergeant promotion.

"That means we will promote 40 officers from constable to sergeant and it will be at the expense of 40 constables.

"In an ideal world, we would have liked to have had 40 sergeants on top of what we already had." Despite the cuts, the force will gain 124 new Police Community Support Officers and 87 extra support staff in the next year.

The force has taken £200,000 from its £1.1m chief officers' reserve for special campaigns against specific crimes like burglary or drugs in a bid to make the savings.

Other planned savings include employing civilians in posts usually held by police officers in the force's control room and inquiries department.

Householders will see the police portion of their council tax bills rise by 4.99 per cent.

Pay rises for police and civilian support staff have been estimated at 2.5 per cent, instead of three per cent.

Insp Martin Elliott, chairman of Thames Valley Police Federation, said: "I think this is a realistic budget. The police authority has had to make savings where it can. I think it's difficult when you're trying to reach performance indicators the Government has set down. "

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