January 21, 2015 4.39 pm This story is over 116 months old

Lincolnshire Police to bid for extra funding to secure service

Extra cash: Lincolnshire Police are hoping for extra funding after the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable met with the Policing Minister.

Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable are putting together an application for extra funding for the force after a meeting with Policing Minister Mike Penning.

The Westminster meeting on Tuesday, January 20, saw PCC Alan Hardwick and Chief Constable Neil Rhodes, alongside local MPs, address concerns that future cuts would “jeopardise public safety”.

Neil Rhodes said the force faced staged funding cuts, which by 2017/18 would amount to £10.4 million – equating to 236 police officers. He said securing funding would prevent losses of police, PCSO and support staff posts.

The details and amount required in the application are yet to be confirmed, but is expected to be submitted to the Policing Minister shortly.

If the application for Special Grant Fund support is accepted it would be made available from April 2015.

The Chief Constable said that the outcomes of the discussions were that the Minister would: “Consider a submission from the PCC for interim financial support from the Special Grant Fund, invite the Chief Constable to be a member of a Gold Group looking at police finance and personally visit the county to learn more about the policing of Lincolnshire.”