Memorandum submitted by Kent Police Authority
POLICE SERVICE STRENGTH—RESPONSE TO
HOME AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
The table below summarises the material submitted
by the Force (on behalf of both Force and Authority) in response
to the call for information:
| |
| | |
"Category" of
officer / staff
| As at (dates) |
| Increase / Decrease |
|
| March 2005 | Sept 2009
| No's | % |
| |
| | |
| Police officers | 3,650 |
3,875 | +225 | +6%
|
| Police Support Staff[1]
| 2,632 | 3,269 | +637
| +24% |
| Total | 6,282 | 7,144
| +862 | +14% |
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| | |
| |
| | |
I trust this table proves self explanatory, the increases
in police officer numbers since 2005 are largely attributable
to the Police Authority's investment in protective services in
the wake of the "closing the gap" and merger debates
and a programme of sustained, year on year investment in neighbourhood
policing including the implementation of Neighbourhood Task Teams
(NTT) for each of our 13 local authority districts (two for the
larger Unitary of Medway).
For support staff, just under 400 of the increase is attributable
to the introduction of PCSOs.
Our medium-term financial strategy does entail significant
cashable savings and this will be revised (and made more demanding)
as we go through the planning / budgetary cycle prior to agreeing
a policing and budgetary plan for 2010-13. In this respect our
planning and financial assumptions resonate with the inferences
in your Chairman's covering letter, namely the increasingly tight
financial climate and a calculation on the economic, political
and legal viability of alternative council tax increases.
Overall the force and authority have a strong track record
on efficiencies and savings, we have "scored" consistently
well in the Audit Commission (Police) Use of Resources assessments
and we remain one of the very lowest precepting police authorities
outside of the metropolitan areas.
Significantly, we have a well-developed collaboration programme
with Essex and are currently at an extremely advanced stage in
agreeing joint IT and specialist crime (major and serious / organised
crime) Directorates across the two force areas. This model of
a "shared platform" for joint service provision is a
model we would intend to develop in the coming years and would
see it being an effective arrangement for a host of other support
services—finance, HR, transport and so on.
Clearly reductions in headcount cannot be entirely ruled
out, police authority members are realistic and well sighted on
the financial challenges. Nonetheless, there is an explicit commitment
to retaining the numbers in front line service delivery whenever
and wherever possible. There is a broad consensus and acknowledgement
amongst members that this will inevitably involve some difficult
and challenging staff / employee relations decisions.
November 2009
1
Includes PCSOS (389 at Sept 2009) Back
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