Police force looks to cut all of its PCSOs as Government funding ‘not enough’
Police force looks to cut all of its PCSOs as Government funding ‘not enough’
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A police force is looking to cut all of its PCSOs to help balance the books following a Government funding settlement described as “not enough”. Essex Police said it could get rid of all 99 police community support officer roles within the force, pending consultation, as it faced a £12.5 million budget shortfall for 2025-26.
The force also proposes to reduce staff numbers by around 65 and stop all “non-critical” building and technology projects. It could also slash a location allowance for the south-east that is paid to its officers, and remove the detective allowance, meaning officers face a reduction in pay.
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, Roger Hirst, said the Government settlement “is not enough to meet pay and inflationary pressures”. Essex Police has requested the maximum precept increase allowed – equivalent to a 5.66% increase for a Band D property and taking the yearly total to £260.37.
The force said that the proposed precept increase, together with the proposed cuts, would allow it to maintain its current number of officers. It said that “urgent action” to address a budget shortfall, including axing all PCSOs and reducing the number of staff, would have a “significant impact on the force’s operational capability”.
Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said: “I’ve said repeatedly for the last few months that all I want is fair funding for a force that is already efficient – delivering tens of millions in savings over the last decade – driving down crime and working hard to keep our communities safe.
