Cumbria Police Federation Tells Government To Invest In Policing

6 November 2025

The Government must invest more in technology and infrastructure as the pressures on policing grow and more officers leave the service, the Chair of Cumbria Police Federation has said.

Ed Russell was speaking as a new report into police productivity was published by the National Audit Office (NAO).

It found that the pressures facing policing risked damaging frontline services.

The spending watchdog said that the Home Office had “not fully understood the implications” of the financial pressure on the police service, and said that forces will need to make “significant savings” if they are to meet the Government’s commitments on crime.

In the past financial year, police forces reduced their reserves by £276 million and funded 60% of capital programmes (police buildings, vehicles and equipment) by borrowing £632 million.

Ed said: “It is inarguable that the pressures on frontline police are growing, and this cannot be accurately measured in volume of incidents alone.

“Policing is a complex environment and continues to change year on year, yet Government investment barely keeps pace with the cost of inflation, meaning that little investment permeates through to where it is needed.

“The IT tools exist to revolutionise how we operate and increase efficiency, and Cumbria is a leading force in seeking these opportunities. In terms of staffing, however, while we need more officers, we cannot recruit our way out of these challenges.

“With 10,000 officers predicted to leave policing every year, the Government must invest cohesively in technology and infrastructure to properly equip frontline officers to do the job they want to do and to stop talented and dedicated cops walking out the door.”