Hertfordshire's Police & Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards has criticised the Government's spending review for failing to provide the funding needed to meet the rising demands on policing and the criminal justice system, with local taxpayers being forced to pick up the bill. 

The Commissioner has warned that the Government will not achieve its pledges to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls with the resources available.

The spending review increases police 'spending power' by 1.7% - "far short" of what Police Chiefs have said is needed – but the small print of Treasury documents reveals that the vast majority of this will come from an assumed increase in the council tax precept set by Police & Crime Commissioners, with little new money from the Home Office. The Commissioner will consult Hertfordshire residents later this year about the options and implications for the council tax precept. 

The policing budget in Hertfordshire is already having to address a £7 million savings target for 2025/26 as a result of unmet inflationary costs, a pay award that wasn't fully funded and the increase in National Insurance contributions. 

Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Hertfordshire Police & Crime Commissioner, said:

"The spending review has sidelined policing and the fight against crime, with the police being asked to do more without the resources needed to match. This is a huge mistake, as law and order and safer communities should always be a top priority for any Government. This decision will also make it harder for the Government to achieve their flagship pledges to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls.

"Every week I see the great work that Hertfordshire's police officers and staff are doing to prevent and solve crime and keep communities safe. But they are incredibly stretched, responding to increasingly complex crime and too often being asked to plug gaps in other public services or the wider criminal justice system. 

"Despite the spin, the claimed increase in funding for policing falls far short of what is required and the small print reveals this is largely just an assumed increase in the council tax precept for policing meaning the Government is simply passing the buck to local taxpayers. 

"I will continue to do everything I can, working with the Chief Constable, to protect the record numbers of police officers we have in Hertfordshire, support more neighbourhood policing, increase visibility, solve more crime and deliver on the priorities in the Police & Crime Plan. The public of Hertfordshire can be assured that the Chief Constable and I will work tirelessly to deliver on their priorities, but our work has been made harder by the Chancellor's actions."