West Midlands Police face budget blow with £6m funding cut next year
West Midlands Police is to have £6 million cut from its government funding next year - twice as much as last year, it was revealed this afternoon.
This year West Midlands Police received £450.1m in government funding, but next year it will receive £444.1m, according to figures from the Home Office released today.
In 2015/16 West Midlands Police received £452.6m in funding.
Following initial analysis of today's announcement West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: "The cuts from central government are more than twice as big this year as they were last year.
"This funding settlement fails to recognise that crime is changing and not falling.
"It will be a bitter disappointment to the people of the West Midlands who have seen their police force hit harder than anywhere else in the country.
"Last year the government promised no cuts to West Midlands Police, but once again we are getting less money than the year before and the government is expecting local people to pick up the difference in their council tax payments."
Mr Jamieson said the Home Office is expecting Police and Crime Commissioners to make up the shortfall by raising council tax.
West Midlands Police has had £130m cut from its budget over the past five years.
