Police and council working ‘more closely’ amid financial pressures, says Herts PCC

POLICE and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd has signalled that the county council and the police are working ‘more closely together’ to address financial pressures.

Speaking at a meeting of the county council’s public health and community safety cabinet panel, Mr Lloyd highlighted ‘significant budget pressures’.

He said his own office, the constabulary and the county council now had ‘an agreed process’ to ‘address the financial pressures that we are all facing at this point’.

And he said that ‘process’ would enable each organisation to ‘fully understand’ each others plans, where ‘demand sits’ – and the impact different budget decisions may have on the other organisation.

“I think there is still plenty of work for us to do to ensure that one partner doesn’t make a decision that has an impact – which perhaps has not been thought through,” he said.

“It is difficult to get there but we are working on that and my officers are very much involved in that.”

Reflecting on the financial position, Mr Lloyd suggested record police officer number may be maintained.

“If we maximise council tax we may be able to continue to have the most police officers that we have ever had – and we should be able to broadly stay in the same place,” he said.

“But there are significant budget pressure.

“I don’t need to tell members of this county council about how difficult public finances are as they are everywhere.

“So we are having to look at every possible aspect to make sure that we still deliver one of the most effective and efficient police forces in the country.”