Chief Constable’s ‘stark’ warning to Councils over funding crisis

Dyfed Powys Police could lose its most experienced officers, make police staff redundant, scrap its helicopter, close more police stations and cut down on cold case reviews – if it does not receive a minimum 5% rise in the Council Tax precept, according to the Force’s Chief Constable Ian Arundale.

Speaking to the Leaders and Chief Executives of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Powys and Ceredigion County Councils this month, Mr Arundale outlined why the Force needs the precept rise, not to achieve growth but to limit Government cuts to 20%.

Chief Constable Arundale said: “I welcome the sympathetic response from all four County Councils to my request for a minimum 5% precept rise. However, nobody should be under any illusions, we still have to cut costs significantly but at least a 5% increase in the precept would mean our situation won’t get any worse.

“Local Authorities understand that the financial crisis is hitting the Force hard yet policing and fighting crime remains a top priority for the public. Research carried out for the Force by MORI shows that 78% of the people surveyed were prepared to pay 15p extra per week for the police.

“A 5% precept rise will help to minimise the impact that sustained reductions in Government funding will have on our service, our performance, our communities and our workforce,” he added.

If Dyfed Powys Police does not receive a 5% precept rise, the Force will have to consider the following options to meet Government cuts:

• Invoking a statutory regulation known as an A19 to forcibly retire officers with 30 years’ service, including some of the Force’s most experienced officers.

• Compulsory redundancies for police staff and taking police officers from front line duties to backfill their roles.

• Embarking on a programme of more police station closures.

• Mothballing or removing the Force helicopter.

• Reducing support for cold case reviews such as ‘Operation Ottawa’ which brought Pembrokeshire serial murderer John William Cooper to justice.

Chief Constable Arundale, said: “I am not scaremongering I am genuinely concerned about how we will be able to effectively protect our communities and bring criminals to justice if we have to reduce our strength any more than what we already have to.  

“The funding crisis is a genuine watershed moment for policing in Mid and West Wales and that is why I am appealing to our politicians to award the Force a 5% precept rise, so we can continue to safeguard our communities,” he added.

Dyfed Powys Police Authority will meet in February when it will make a decision on how much precept to grant the Force.