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The new money announced by the Home Office is understood to come from efficiencies identified within the department. <\/p>\n
But senior police sources have criticised the lack of detail in the government’s plans and are questioning whether the money will go into plugging existing gaps rather than recruiting extra officers.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the BBC, a senior police source said that forces had not had any details as to how they could spend the first \u00a3100m announced in December.<\/p>\n
He asked whether the money was for new PCs or PCSOs, whether it could be used to plug existing funding gaps, and how items like uniforms and cars would be paid for.<\/p>\n
PCSOs are paid employees but only share some of the powers that police officers have.<\/p>\n
They can hand out fixed-penalty notices and take alcohol from a person under the age of 18, but must ask a police officer to arrest someone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Policing Minister Dame Dianna Johnson has said the increase in funding would “allow police forces to kick start” the recruiting process.<\/p>\n
Asked on the Today programme about forces making cuts, Dame Diana said she wouldn’t “pretend it’s not challenging for police forces” but overall an “extra \u00a31.1bn was going” into policing.<\/p>\n
The money will come alongside a major police shake-up in Spring. Forces will be asked to work together more and cut waste, like merging IT systems, Dame Diana said.<\/p>\n
“We recognise that the current way policing is structured is not the most efficient or best way of providing a police service in England and Wales,” Dame Diana said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The announcement of an extra \u00a3100m comes as the government publishes its final police funding settlement which provides up to \u00a317.5bn for local police forces for the next year.<\/p>\n
Around a third of the funding will be dependent on police and crime commissioners opting to increase council tax by \u00a314. <\/p>\n
The government says the settlement includes funding to support the costs of pay awards and the increase in the employer National Insurance contributions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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