The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has called on the Chancellor to use this Wednesday’s Spending Review to restore frontline police numbers in the region to pre-austerity levels.
Simon Foster, the region’s PCC, said the West Midlands has nearly 700 fewer officers than in 2010, despite rising demand and the growing complexity of crime. He urged the government to implement a “fairer funding formula” that reflects the region’s actual levels of need and demand, rather than relying on what he described as outdated metrics.
“The West Midlands has been short-changed for far too long,” Mr Foster said. “Other force areas now have more officers than at any point in their history – that is neither fair nor just.”
The Spending Review, to be delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Wednesday, will outline departmental budgets for the next three to four years. Reports ahead of the announcement suggest policing may receive an above-inflation funding increase, though the final settlement is still being negotiated by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Mr Foster warned that the current formula for distributing police funding is “broken and unfit for purpose”.
“It fails to account for the scale of demand we face – from serious organised crime to safeguarding the most vulnerable in our communities,” he said. “This is not a call for more money overall, but for a fairer share of national resources.”
The PCC urged the government to seize the moment as an opportunity to invest in public safety and provide the tools needed to keep communities safe.