Sajid Javid urges police to solve more crimes after pledging £1bn cash boost
2 min read
Home Secretary Sajid Javid has ordered police to make "improvements" in their performance after he promised almost £1bn in extra cash for stretched forces.
The Cabinet minister said the newly-announced top-up for 2019 - which could amount to £970m if local crime commissioners choose to increase Council Tax - was "just one part of the picture" as he urged officers to change the way they work.
Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Javid said: "The Government’s boost to funding must be matched by improvements in policing led by the police themselves.
"I want to see forces make better use of technology, make greater efficiencies though more collaborative working and increase the number of detectives in their ranks.
"My priority is public safety and I will continue to give the police the support they need to protect us all."
'KEPT EVERY PROMISE'
If fully allocated, the money would represent the biggest boost to police funding since 2010.
The Home Office is upping direct support for some forces in England and Wales and allowing local police and crime commissioners to choose to increase the police "precept" element of Council Tax in order to pump extra cash into the system.
Mr Javid said the funding hike demonstrated that he had "listened and kept to every promise" made to police since taking on the Home Office job.
"Since becoming Home Secretary, I have spoken to police leaders from across the country," he said. "Many have told me they want to recruit more officers into their forces and this extra funding will allow them to do just that.
"Many have also talked about the need for more resources to deal with the changing nature of crime."
But Labour warned that the extra money would not do enough to make up for cuts to police funding over the past eight years.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said voters would be "furious at the Government’s announcement".
He added: "The additional funding represents a tiny fraction of the huge government cuts to the Met police since 2010 and will mean the number of police officers in London will continue to fall over the years ahead."
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