WEST Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion has welcomed the Home Office’s decision to publish how much cash each police force has in the bank.
Mr Campion spoke out after Police and Fire Service Minister Nick Hurd revealed last Wednesday a database where members of the public can go to see how their local Police and Crime Commissioner is managing the money held by police forces across the country.
In March 2017, the police collectively held over £1.6billion in usable resource reserves, which compares to £1.4billion in 2011. There are wide variations between areas from Gwent holding 42 per cent of their annual funding in reserves to Northumbria holding under seven per cent.
Mr Campion said: “West Mercia has been sitting on funds of around £60million in recent years – which is simply not acceptable. This is why I have made a commitment to responsibly reduce the reserves to a sensible level of £13million by 2019/20 whilst also supporting West Mercia Police to a balanced budget in the same period.
“I am utilising the reserves to bring the police estate into the 21st century and equip officers to meet the needs of modern policing.”
“Since coming into post I have stood by my election pledge, which was I would always make sure public money is used as effectively and efficiently as possible before asking our communities to contribute any more.”
Visit www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-financial-reserves for details of all the cash held by each Police and Crime Commissioner since 2011.
