Policing will receive up to £15.8 billion to build back safer and cut crime, the government will announce today (Thursday 17 December).
The 2021 to 2022 funding package will include over £400 million to recruit 20,000 extra officers by 2023, building on the success of the first year of the recruitment campaign – which has already delivered almost 6,000 additional police officers.
Alongside getting more officers out on the street, the funding settlement will enable policing to tackle serious violence and increase the number of specialist officers tackling counter-terrorism and serious organised crime, including child sexual abuse and drug trafficking.
The 2021 to 2022 funding package means an increase of up to £636 million on last year, should PCCs take full advantage of police precept flexibility.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said:
We have asked more of the police than ever before during the coronavirus pandemic – the British people and I are extremely grateful for their dedication.
I am absolutely committed to giving the police the resources they need – this funding package delivers on that.
It will allow us to continue to put more police on the streets, and reduce crime as we build back safer from the pandemic.
Funding for Counter-Terrorism policing will total up to £914 million, including money for armed policing and more officers. In addition, Counter-Terrorism policing will receive £32 million to establish a new Counter-Terrorism Operations Centre to keep the country safe from a range of threats.
The government also recognises that, during the coronavirus pandemic, huge demands have been made of the police.
That is why it has provided additional support throughout, including £30m of surge funding to help forces step up COVID-19 enforcement activities in 2020 to 2021, and why it reimbursed all additional personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased between March and July.
Huge demands have also been made on the public, the vast majority of whom have been following the rules to help keep everyone safe. Just as police will continue to enforce the regulations, the public should continue to do their bit to stop the spread of the virus.
The publication of the provisional funding settlement opens a period of consultation. The final police funding settlement will be debated in Parliament ahead of the new financial year.
