Police reform to save billions
Theresa May has outlined her plans to save £2.2 billion per year across the police force at a summit held today.
The savings will be made by introducing better procurement procedures, offering police forces more freedom to determine where money is best spent locally and demanding greater efficiency both on the frontline and in the back office.
The government currently spends more on criminal justice and policing than most other countries in Europe, yet the level of violent crime remains high.
Finding ways to reduce the costs and improve frontline services is vital if the police force is to remain effective.
Effective and efficient
Home Secretary, Theresa May said: ‘The policing reform is not all about saving money; it’s about cutting crime and protecting the public. But finding ways to save money and reduce waste along the way will ensure the police force is as effective and efficient as it can be.’
The government will:
- encourage police forces to join up when buying large items such as IT systems so better deals can be negotiated
- end ringfencing on all central policing grants from 2013 so police forces have more freedom to spend money where it is most needed locally
- reduce the amount of paperwork police officers have so they can spend more time crime fighting
- put in place a two year pay freeze in policing, just as there have been across the public sector
- review police pay and conditions to make them fair to police officers and offer more flexibility
This work is part of wider project to reform policing and create a stronger, fairer and more accountable police force.