After ‘Unforgivable’ £8m Budget Cut, Police Chief Asks: ‘What Should We Stop Doing?’

Cops were grappling with so-called ‘county lines’ criminal gangs exploiting young people as well as a “huge rise in school exclusions” driving crime, he said. 

Mental health cuts, under-investment in drug and substance misuse services and council cuts were also having a “significant knock-on effect”. 

Jamieson was responding to a call by Sir Tom asking PCCs how they thought forces could “provide the best possible service to the public in the year ahead”.  He concluded his letter by saying: 

“The questions were are grappling with in the West Midlands are: in light of rising demand and without substantial investment in policing forthcoming, what is a realistic level of service that can be delivered by the police service? 

“What should policing stop doing?”  

MPs passed a new £7.8bn funding package for police and local government on Tuesday night.

The government claims it contains an “additional” £161m for policing, but all of that extra cash will go on pension payments, the APCC data says.

Without more money, the only way forces can fund extra policing is by asking local taxpayers’ to agree up to £24 more on their council tax bill. 

Shadow policing minister Louise Haigh said: “The truth is on police funding, the government simply cannot be trusted.

“Instead of spending grant money on priorities like fighting crime and child sexual exploitation, the police will be forced to plug the pensions black hole which the government created in the first place. A ninth year of real-terms cuts in Tory funding to local forces is unforgivable with surging violent crime.”