Police chief warns 400 officers and staff may be cut without 'urgent and significant' funding
The Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police has warned more than 400 jobs could be lost without "urgent and significant" funding. The force previously confirmed it needed to reduce police officers by around 200 by 2028/2029 when questioned over the recently cancelled intake of new officers in March.
However, in an update on Friday, January 31, Chief Constable Paul Gibson said the situation was bleaker than expected after reviewing the Government's funding settlement for policing in the county. He said: "There is a simple and stark message: without urgent and significant funding, I will need to reduce our organisation by over 400 officers and staff.
"I have reluctantly cancelled police recruitment and will need to start reducing police staff numbers significantly and immediately. This is no longer about balancing financial spreadsheets, this is about the imminent withdrawal of core services to the communities of Lincolnshire which will be clearly seen and felt by our residents.
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"We will go from being the least funded force in the country to being an extreme outlier at a time when there is the need to improve our services." The senior officer said that while the force had not yet had time to examine the funding in detail, there would be a budget deficit of at least £14 million for 2025/26.
Mr Gibson explained Lincolnshire Police had been told Home Office officials would work with the force on its funding situation. He said it had been looking for help with the problem since August and welcomed any assistance.
The officer added: "There may be some potential extra money to support the neighbourhood policing pledge. We welcome any additional funding that is allocated to policing but unfortunately this will be a tiny percentage of what we need.
"We will always be committed to serving the public and keeping our county safe, but these levels of reductions will inevitably cause a deterioration in service. The PCC and I will continue to pursue a fair settlement for Lincolnshire, but at present the only options available are large reductions of essential and committed officers and staff.”