Derbyshire Police are facing a budget shortfall exceeding £8.5 million, a situation described by Chief Constable Rachel Swann as the result of “external pressures” beyond the force’s control.
In an open letter, Swann highlighted the urgent financial strain and called for an increase in council tax contributions to secure the force’s future operations.
Chief Constable Swann revealed that Derbyshire Police’s financial challenges had escalated significantly.
While a £1.5 million gap was initially forecasted for the current financial year, changes following the Autumn budget and the Home Office grant settlement in December raised the shortfall to over £8.5 million.
Swann stated, “Uncertainty about both grant funding and council tax increases means that it is increasingly difficult to predict with confidence our level of resources and significantly hinders our ability for financial planning.”
To address the deficit, Swann urged Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts, to approve a maximum council tax increase of £14 per year for Band D households. This adjustment, she argued, is critical to sustain policing services in the county.
The chief constable pointed out that despite a £264 million increase in the national policing grant, at least £300 million is required to cover the September 2024 pay award costs.
Furthermore, the grant made no provisions for the expected 2.8% pay increase for 2025/26, inflationary pressures, or rising costs in Home Office IT systems.
“These factors place significant strain on our finances, with the cost burden falling squarely on policing to resolve,” Swann added.
Under Swann’s leadership, Derbyshire Police has consistently achieved its savings targets. However, she warned that the force has reached a critical juncture where additional savings are needed to counter external pressures, further reducing available resources.
She noted that progress on reforming the national police funding formula has been “painstakingly slow,” leaving the force vulnerable to systemic financial challenges.
