Budget cuts force Police to take “a long, hard look at services”

Monday 16 January 2017

Jersey’s Police Chief says budget cuts are affecting the way the force work and the services they provide.

It’s a view acknowledged by the Chairman of the Jersey Police Authority – a body that oversees the force.

In the 2017 Policing Plan, Police Chief Mike Bowron says: “The budget reductions we face for 2017-2019 have required us to take a long, hard look at both the services we currently provide, as well as how we deliver them. Whilst never an enjoyable task, I have been tremendously impressed by the way my officers and civilian staff have dealt with this challenging task, as well as the innovation they have shown and plans we have developed.”

Whilst JPA Chairman Jonathan White notes: “In blunt terms, some services will inevitably be affected, but the main focus has been on the development of a new policing model which is based on an actual assessment of need.”

This year’s police budget is £23.4m. That’s £0.383m down on the previous year, a drop of about 1.65%. And, by 2019, the States want to see the force’s baseline budget cut by £1.85m. 86% of the force’s budget goes on wages. So, cutting the workforce is an obvious target for savings.

The report says: “Whilst the priority is to protect frontline capability, workforce reductions will be required to deliver a significant part of the savings. By the end of 2017, the States of Jersey Police Force expects to have not more than 208 Police Officers and 103 civilian staff.”

Other areas highlighted at saving money include improved efficiency and either the scaling down of some services currently provided or working alongside other agencies to share costs.