North Wales Police has increased the number of its frontline officers while making financial cutbacks, it’s been revealed.
The news was contained in a report published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary who said North Wales Police was a good force.
The main findings of the report were that North Wales Police:
- is on track to achieve its required savings of £17.9m over the spending review period;
- has plans in place to deliver all of the savings needed in 2014/15 (£4.3m) and 2015/16 (£3.5m);
- has a timeline for developing and refining plans in 2016/17 and beyond to achieve savings;
- has made comparatively small staff reductions, which has allowed it to increase both the number and proportion of staff on the front line;
- has reduced crime over the spending review period, although at a lower rate than for other forces.
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick CB QC said: “Finding the necessary savings while protecting frontline services has been a difficult balancing act for North Wales Police.
“Whilst I believe that we should do everything reasonably possible to protect neighbourhood policing we need also to realise that the effects of the cuts yet to come might be to make much more difficult that which has been possible so far.
“The report shows that North Wales Police has been able to restrict the reduction in staff numbers while at the same time increasing the number and proportion of officers at the sharp end.
“In future, we will need to ensure we achieve even greater value for money and there is more work to be done in terms of collaborating more with other forces.
“A recent example was the alliance we have formed with Cheshire Police in relation to armed response.
“At a time when budgets are tight, strategic alliances like this makes a great deal of sense.
“Through innovative collaboration like this, we can continue to provide enhanced policing to communities across North Wales and reduce costs at the same time.
“North Wales is keeping up the fight against crime with another year of further reductions in the number of offences – with an overall drop of three per cent in the crime rate – and a consequent drop in the number of victims.
“The region continues to be one of the safest places in the UK to live, work and visit but there is certainly much work to be done.
“I am aware there are a number of areas where improvement is needed and I will be working with the Chief Constable to improve performance in those areas and indeed across the board.
“My aim as outlined in the Police and Crime Plan is to work to ensure the people of North Wales feel safe, secure, and unthreatened by crime, criminals, and intimidation from whatever source.
“I will continue to work towards improving people’s security at home and their perception of security at home and towards reducing victim based crime.
“It is important that people living, working and visiting North Wales feel safe in public places at all times of the day and at night.
“I will work towards improving people’s safety in public places, their perception of safety in public places and reducing victim based crime.”
Whilst welcoming the findings of the HMIC, North Wales Police Chief Constable Mark Polin added a note of caution as the force heads towards more budget reductions.
By the end of 2013-2014 the Force will actually have had to reduce its budget by 10.3% in real terms from the 2010-11 base.
Chief Constable Polin said: “It is far from easy to lever out this degree of savings and yet maintain or improve performance. The fact we have been able to do so thus far is testament to the hard work and sheer determination of all those who work for the organisation.
“Nevertheless this is set to be tested to the limit as we have been told to expect to find yet further savings of £17.9m in the next 3 years, a further reduction of 12%, and yet more after that.
“This will call for an examination of how we prioritise services in conjunction with other public sector organisations across North Wales and for us to consider alternative ways to manage public expectations and demand.
“We simply will not be able to service the level of public expectation that exists now.”
Dru Sharpling, HM Inspector of Constabulary for the Wales and Western Region said: “North Wales is not only on track to meet its financial challenge for the spending review period but also for the following financial year, 2015/16. It has made the savings it needed with one of the smallest reductions in police officer numbers in England and Wales and with no overall reduction in its total workforce. This has enabled it to increase the numbers of staff on the front line.
HMIC found that the force has a good understanding of the demand it faces and is working to manage the demand better, and to change the way it delivers policing so that police time is used to best effect.
Crime has continued to fall in North Wales, although victim satisfaction with the police is well below the figure for other forces in England and Wales.”
