Merseyside Police Authority - holding the purse strings on your behalf
Merseyside Police Authority spends more money putting
'bobbies on the beat' than most other police authorities,
information published today (Thursday 18th March)
reveals. HMIC (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies)
has released the figures so people can see what police forces are
spending their money on.
The investment Merseyside Police Authority has made in recent years
in officers -increasing numbers on the beat by around 480 in 5
years - is backed up by an investment in staff and PCSOs. This is
the direct result of public demands to see more police as well as
improvements in the way Merseyside Police deals with issues such
anti-social behaviour and calls from members of the public.
The result of this investment speaks for itself: crime on
Merseyside continues to fall. There has been a total of 57,000
fewer victims of crime in the last 3 years representing the largest
reduction in the country. This equates to a 33% reduction in
overall crime - violent crime down by 44%, burglary down by 24%,
robbery down by 33%, vehicle crime down by 46% and criminal damage
down by 40%. Confidence in Merseyside Police is 56%, one of the
best results in the country.
Merseyside Police Authority achieves this despite having a
relatively low tax base, meaning there's a large percentage of
houses in the Band A category and therefore less potential income
per average household. However only around 16% of Merseyside Police
Authority's budget comes from council tax payments; policing is
primarily funded through a central government grant which reflects
the region's population, deprivation levels and policing
challenges, both in terms of crime and as a major port city. In
this respect, to a large extent the government decides how
expensive police forces are.
The HMIC 'value for money profiles' published today also
reveal that Merseyside spends 'less than expected' on
'non-staff costs.' This is due to efforts over the past 3
years to make efficiency savings of nearly £27M and invest
this in police officer numbers. Merseyside Police operations are
lean and efficient but not at the expense of quality of service nor
of response.
Merseyside Police Authority Chairman, Cllr Bill Weightman, said:
"On Merseyside, we invest well in police officers and staff.
This is the direct result of public consultation and a shared
strategy between Merseyside Police Authority and the Chief
Constable of Merseyside Police. The investment in people has been
achieved through the hard work of the Authority and Force in
achieving cost savings in other areas of expenditure or in the back
office. Our investment in people is reflected in the performance of
the Force, both in terms of reported crime, detection rates and in
the confidence felt by the communities of Merseyside."
For more information contact:
Jude Hackett Tel: 0151 285 5510
E-mail: jude.hackett@merseysidepoliceauthority.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
1. More detailed information can be found at www.hmic.gov.uk
