Policing commitments need savings and reform

In a recent report, the National Audit Office (NAO) addressed the pressing need for reform and savings within UK police forces. Meeting the government's policing commitments will require substantial productivity increases as well as financial savings. Last year, police forces faced considerable financial strain, resulting in a £276 million reduction in reserves and the necessity to borrow £632 million to cover 60% of their capital programmes. The Home Office has identified potential savings of £354 million over the next four years; however, more than half of these are deemed high or medium risk to deliver.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, PAC Chair, commented on the situation, stating that “there is little evidence that the Home Office’s previous efficiency attempts have led to lasting improvements in working practices across all police forces.” He further noted the necessity of focusing not just on immediate cashable savings but also on long-term reform. The NAO report, entitled Police productivity, scrutinises how the Home Office supports police forces in enhancing financial sustainability and productivity through optimal resource utilisation.

The demands placed on policing have intensified, with an increasingly complex crime landscape and new responsibilities, including the enforcement of the amended Dangerous Dog Act. A recent assessment found that financial pressures forced police forces to rely on borrowing, with forecasts suggesting that the percentage of capital programmes funded through debt will rise to 71% by 2025-26.

The NAO indicates that police forces are grappling with significant staff vacancies and have diverted officers to non-operational roles, thus reshaping the services they deliver. The Home Office has enhanced its oversight since the NAO last evaluated police financial sustainability in 2018, but inconsistencies in data and funding formulas persist, undermining efforts to understand financial distress across different forces.

To achieve the identified savings of £354 million, the Home Office aims to implement its Police Efficiency and Collaboration Programme, though the process will be challenging. The report highlights that 77% of police funding is allocated to pay costs, leaving limited resources for capital investments and technological advancements.

Despite the government’s expectation to increase overall police funding by around 1.7% annually over the next few years, barriers to productivity remain critical. The Home Office has yet to define productivity or outline a cohesive measurement methodology. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, states that “improving the productivity of the police is crucial to helping them manage financial pressures while supporting their ability to respond to changing demands.” He emphasized the importance of addressing barriers such as slow innovation adoption and insufficient use of digital and AI resources.

The NAO has made several recommendations for overcoming these challenges, which include enhancing financial oversight, better understanding the impacts of emerging pressures, reviewing funding approaches, and facilitating faster technology adoption. By addressing these issues now, the Home Office can take decisive steps towards achieving improved productivity and ultimately better value from policing funding.