£50 million plea for new officers to fight surging crime
A police chief has demanded more than £50 million in new funding to enable his force to boost officer numbers and stave off a budget crisis.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster said an extra 1,200 officers that are currently being funded by the Government were not enough to combat surging crime.
He has urged ministers to stump up for an extra 1,000 officers to return staff numbers to their 2010 levels - at a cost of £51m.
West Midlands Police is the only force in the country to have rising crime rates, despite this year having the biggest hike in funding of any UK police force outside London.
Labour commissioner Mr Foster has submitted his funding demands to the Government ahead of the next spending review on October 27.
He said that "serious long-term issues" remained with the force's budget. "Not only has there been no levelling-up as far as West Midlands Police is concerned and no progress from the Government on our 1,000 missing officers, but I am also concerned that with growing inflation the circumstances relating to our budget will become increasingly difficult over the coming years," he said.
Politicians in the region have rowed over the issue of police funding for years, with Tories arguing that successive Labour PCCs have failed to make the best use of the cash available.
Dudley South MP Mike Wood said: "Funding for police officers in the West Midlands is increasing, as is funding to tackle violent crime.
"Conservative MPs will continue to press for our region to get as much funding as possible, but it is time for the PCC – who has already been in post for half a year – to stop making excuses and start delivering on his promises to cut crime.
"While crime is falling elsewhere in the country it is up in the West Midlands. Local people deserve better."
