Northumbria Police are feeling the pinch as the cost of living crisis continues to spiral, councillors have been warned.
Councillors from across the region gathered in Gateshead on Tuesday to hear the state of policing finances are and how the force could cope over the next four years.
One major concern was around the price of fuel. According to the police and crime commissioner’s newly appointed chief financial officer , Kevin Lang, Northumbria Police use 1.3 million litres of fuel a year.
In addition, police facilities are currently in talks to negotiate with their suppliers regarding the cost of electricity and gas. The police use the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) to find suppliers of power. NEPO has told the police rates for electricity and gas are set to rise by 55%.
Northumbria Police have a budgeted reserve of £2m to combat inflation rises. However, the reserve is a “one off” and other financial reserves are also beginning to dwindle.
Mr Lang said: “We will have to look at a more permanent solution and that will more than likely creating budget pressures for the next three years because these will last longer than the first financial year.”
Councillors were also told an austerity reserve is almost exhausted. At the beginning of austerity, Northumbria Police used reserves to “cushion” frontline policing. However, twelve years on, the reserve has decreased from £74m to £10.1m.
The police and crime commissioner, Kim McGuinness, raised the police precept on council tax to £10 on Band A council tax bills earlier this year. However, it remains unclear whether this rise can continue beyond the current financial year.
Government grant funding has been confirmed, but only for one year with minimum increases provided for police funding on a national scale in 2023/244 and 24/25.
Kim McGuinness also predicted there could be cuts or funding reductions following the appointment of a new Prime Minister after comments from prospective leader Rishi Sunak saying he would only ring fence child protection funding.
