Further £2.5m cut from Police budget

The funding of major national policing projects will be shared by police forces across the UK and that means a further budget cut of £2.5m for Devon and Cornwall Police.

Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Hogg has now confirmed that next year’s budget will be reduced by £2.5m, the money going to the expansion of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the College of Policing and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. The region must also help pay for a new police Innovation Fund .

Mr Hogg said the news was unwelcome: “This news puts a huge burden on our budget and directs too much of our funding to the centre.

“This can only be to the detriment of neighbourhood policing which is an area I am passionate about protecting.”

Mr Hogg is also disappointed that a review into the way police forces are funded will not be completed before next year’s general election.

“Obviously myself and Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer would have liked the review to be completed quickly but we will continue to press politicians to act as quickly as possible.”