Fed chair responds after it is revealed Force needs to save millions

18 January 2024

The chair of Suffolk Police Federation has called the core government funding formula ‘unfair’ as it is revealed the Force needs to save up to £5.2 million over the next four years.

Darren Harris said it is ‘not right’ that the core government funding formula will not rise despite the cash shortage but is reassuring members that a cut in officer numbers is not anticipated as the Government has ring-fenced 1400 cops in Suffolk.

He was speaking during an interview on BBC Radio Suffolk this morning (Thursday 18 January) along with Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Tim Passmore.

“The government has ring-fenced an established number of just over 1400 officers in Suffolk. The Force is duty-bound to maintain that,” said Darren.

During the interview, presenter Wayne Bavin highlighted the fact that 80 per cent of the Force’s budget is down to staffing, to which Darren replied: “As the Federation, looking after the rank and file officers in Suffolk the ring-fencing of numbers is a good thing for us.

“But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that if savings need to be made but officer numbers are ring-fenced then where are those savings going to be coming from. I suggest it won’t be police officers in the next few years, it may be the other staff members, which is a real worrying situation for them I’m sure.”

Speaking about the core government funding formula - a calculation which uses various data sources to share money between police authorities in England and Wales - Darren said the ‘people of Suffolk deserve better’.

“You will see it’s not predicted for the core government funding for Suffolk Policing to rise, and that can’t be right. The people of Suffolk deserve a better funding formula,” he argued, later adding: “We will have to keep fighting for a better funding formula, for the people of Suffolk, for policing.”

PCC Tim Passmore is currently campaigning to increase the policing element of council tax in Suffolk so that the Force can continue to ‘provide an efficient and effective service’ to the local community.

During this morning’s interview, Tim said the reference to needing £5.2 million of savings was the ‘worst case scenario’.

When asked if he could confirm officer numbers would not be cut, Tim said: “I can commit to not losing officers, certainly in the short term. We need to keep our numbers of 1400 police officers and the plans for this year and next year are to do exactly that.

“We can’t look more than three or four years ahead but in the short term, absolutely, we will maintain those numbers.”