Public Order & Safety - Paying For It 2011

Public Order & Safety: £8.8bn

November 23rd, 2011

Spending on the police service has doubled in the last decade. In this time of economic squeeze these increases cannot continue. However, the recent social unrest and the upcoming Olympics will see an increased need for public order.

Further reduce spending on the police and reform the force

Reduce police spending and reform the service by introducing elected police commissioners.
Pros & Cons

PRO Elected commissioners will better understand local priorities and direct police resources more efficiently.

CON Elected commissioners are unlikely to want to make substantial cuts to services for fear of not being re-elected.
Further reduce spending on the police and implement efficiency savings

Reduce police spending to £8bn and implement efficiency savings.
Pros & Cons

PRO Efficiency savings will discourage inefficient spending - police overtime alone costs the taxpayer around £400m per year.

CON It is unlikely that the police can deliver savings of this size without harming front line services – there are likely to be fewer police on the streets.
Stick to current plans

Stick to the planned reduction in spending to £8.8bn in 2012-13.
Pros & Cons

PRO Remains consistent with expectations of the demands on police forces around the country.

CON Frontline police numbers could fall by 16,000 by 2015 as a result. This is the same number of police required in London at the height of the August 2011 riots.
Increase planned spending on the police

Reverse the planned cut in spending for 2012-13 in order to protect police spending.
Pros & Cons

PRO Increases resources available during the Olympics 2012.

CON This policy could be seen as letting the police ‘off the hook’ at a time when all other public services must find substantial savings.

Submit your own policy

Do you have a better idea for a policy? Submit it in the text field below. (You still have to select one of the above choices). All ideas will be compiled with the most popular getting published in the Youth Budget 2012.

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Public Order & Safety: £8.8bn

Further reduce spending on the police and reform the force

Further reduce spending on the police and implement efficiency savings

Stick to current plans

Increase planned spending on the police

Submit your own policy

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