Wiltshire MPs call for police funding changes amid Force's financial strain
Wiltshire Police faces a funding shortfall of £5.2 million this year
Six Wiltshire MPs have written a letter to the Home Secretary calling for a review of how Police Forces are funded by Government.
The Police Allocation Formula (PAF) currently bases it's funding of local Forces on a 'per head of population' basis, using a variety of sources, such as population density, to share money across the country's policing authorities.
But John Glen, Sarah Gibson, Brian Mathew, Roz Savage, Andrew Murrison and Danny Kruger have joined together in calling for that to be changed.
It comes as the Force, led by Chief Constable Catherine Roper, faces a budget shortfall of £5.2m this year, with the outlook bleak in the years to come.
This is partly due to the increased National Insurance contributions being made by employers and increases to the salaries of officers and staff.
Despite Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, raising the amount we pay towards policing through Council Tax by the maximum amount, Wiltshire is set to fall further behind each year thanks to the PAF.
Wiltshire is the third lowest funded Force by head of population, receiving £129 per head, compared to the national average of £164.
In the letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the cross-party group states that the 'population black-hole' caused by Salisbury Plain, significantly distorts the population density figure.
And with the Force improving under Chief Constable Roper's leadership, having been placed into special measures in 2022, the MP's are worried that progress won't be sustained if funding continues to tie a hand behind the Forces back.
The letter follows the announcement of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee
Speaking at the launch of that scheme, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The heartbeat of our Great British policing tradition is seeing bobbies on the beat, but for too long, too many communities have been feeling abandoned as crime soared and neighbourhood police disappeared, even when local crimes like shop theft, street theft or blatant drug dealing rose sharply.
"That’s why this government is determined to get police back on the beat and into our town centres.
"It should not matter where you live – everyone deserves local, visible policing they can trust, and with our Plan for Change and Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee we will tackle this postcode lottery and restore policing to our communities."