Lincolnshire Police promised support for extra officers

Lincolnshire Police will receive a welcome boost of funding for extra officers after a decade of reductions.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the recruitment of 20,000 extra officers in England and Wales.

Lincolnshire Police said back in May that it will be able to boost their ranks with an extra 30 new officers this Autumn after additional funding of £1.8 million was secured.

The recent Government announcement was also welcomed by police, but it is not yet known what the distribution will look like across policing, what exactly the force will get in Lincolnshire and how and when they will make it happen.

Chief Constable Bill Skelly said that they receive “roughly a 1% share of total Government funding for police forces in England and Wales, so we could have a significant number of additional officers over the next three years”.

He said: “This is hugely exciting for us here in Lincolnshire and a most welcome boost after a decade of reductions.

“We are delighted that Government has made this commitment because it shows that they recognise the limitations put on policing under falling budgets.”

He added: “For the last five years we have been at the bottom of the funding pile, so increasing everyone still leaves us at the bottom of that pile.

“We hope that Government will take this moment to stop and reflect on how Lincolnshire Police can better protect our communities with a fairer distribution of funding.

“We believe this will be an opportunity for them to address the unjustifiable differences between us and other forces in the country.

“We will continue to fight for fairer and safer funding for Lincolnshire Police and look forward to sustained and significant growth.

“I believe this is a wonderful opportunity and I am really looking forward to the challenge of making it happen as quickly as possible to deliver a safer Lincolnshire and a better supported workforce.”

Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones. Photo: Steve Smailes for the Lincolnite/Lincolnshire Reporter

Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones said: “The Chief Constable and I have worked together to put Lincolnshire Police on a stable footing for exactly this kind of opportunity.

“Despite all of the challenges that have been faced, we are well placed to deliver increased numbers, without any reduction in standards, as quickly as possible.”