MORE than £1.6 million has been slashed from police budgets in Gloucestershire in the last year, despite a promise from the Government to protect spending.

New figures have revealed cuts of 2.7 per cent to the county’s police grant in 2017/18 from the Home Office.

To soften this blow, Gloucestershire Police has again been forced to hike its portion of council tax by the highest amount possible - 1.99 per cent - an extra £4.18 on the annual bill for the average household.

This increase will raise about £900,000 and be channelled into trying to increase the number of special constables in the constabulary.

These renewed efforts to train more bobbies comes against a backdrop of plummeting police numbers across the county.

New figures also show that since 2010 the force in Gloucestershire dropped from 1,309 to 1,067, a reduction of 18 per cent.

This is reflected in new stats that show recorded crime in the county has increased year-on-year by two per cent, with violent crime also up by 16 per cent.

It comes despite a pledge by the Conservative government during George Osborne’s dramatic U-turn Spending Review in 2015 that “there will be no cuts in the police budget at all. There will be real-terms protection for police funding.”

However forces across the UK actually faced a £160m real-terms cut in their Whitehall funding in 2015-16 and 2016-17 – a figure equal to the salaries of 3,200 police officers over the two years.

Cllr Lesley Williams (Stonehouse), leader of the Labour group on Gloucestershire County Council, said the Conservatives were letting down the county’s residents.

“Despite the Tories’ empty promises to protect the police, Gloucestershire Police Force is seeing a real-terms cut of £1,602,381 in its funding from Government this year.

“This is the worst possible time for even further cuts to policing. In Gloucestershire Police Force, recorded crime has increased year-on-year by two per cent, with violent crime up by 16 per cent.

“While nationally, the crime rate is over 11 million offences. The first duty of any Government is the safety and security of our residents.

“By breaking their promise to protect the police, the Conservatives are letting the people of Gloucestershire down.”

Earlier this month, Gloucestershire’s independent Police and Crime Commissioner, Martin Surl (pictured), said that he had been with “no choice” but to increase the precept for taxpayers.

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However, even with the precept hiked, he added “significant savings have again had to be found to balance the budget”.

“I have been given no choice but to increase the council tax by 1.99 per cent for 2017/18,” he said.

“The grant received from the Home Office has been set on the basis that PCCs will increase the precept to offset the reduction in grant.

“Even with the increased precept, significant savings have again had to be found to balance the budget”.

He added: “Unfortunately maintaining funding at a flat cash level does not take account of pay increases, price inflation, and additional costs imposed by the government.

“Although savings of £1.4million have been identified I will still need to increase the precept to balance the budget.

“I believe this is a modest increase in council tax, which for 2017/18 will mean that the constabulary can maintain the number of police officers and police community support officers to police Gloucestershire and will provide the resources to significantly increase the number of special constables”.

Policing in Gloucestershire is funded in three ways, through a grant from the Government, Gloucestershire County Council and the police council tax precept.

Putting forward spending plans for the 2017/18, Brandon Lewis, the Minister of State for Fire and Policing, said at end of last year: “The Government is committed to protecting the public.

“The Government will provide the resources necessary for the police to do their critical work, and prioritise finishing the job of police reform by enabling the police to transform so they can tackle changing crime, deal with previously hidden crimes and protect the vulnerable.

“Since 2010 we have seen some of the biggest changes to policing in a generation. Crime is down by over a quarter according to the Independent Crime Survey for England and Wales.

“There is significantly greater local accountability and transparency and police leaders have taken the opportunity to radically reform the way they deliver services to the public. Police officers have been taken out of back office roles and resources focused on front line delivery.

“Police forces are working more closely than ever before to reduce costs and duplication, and have started to work more closely with other emergency services through co-location and collaboration in areas such as fire and mental health.

“As Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has set out, there is still considerable scope for forces to continue to improve the efficiency of their organisations and transform the way in which they operate, and it is vital that the pace and urgency of change continues if we are to have a police force fit to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”

Central government funding to Police and Crime Commissioners had already been reduced by £2.3 billion (25 per cent) in real-terms between 2010-11 and 2015-16.

The latest police workforce statistics also show that over 20,000 police officers and 6,000 PCSOs have been lost since 2010.

Source used for figures: Home Office, Police Grant Reports 2016/17 and 2017/18; Real terms changes calculated using HMT Deflators for December 2016, 6 January 2017.