Chief Constable James Vaughan is "extremely concerned" for Dorset Police's future

Less than two months after a proposed merger of the forces covering Dorset and Devon and Cornwall was called off, police and crime commissioner Martyn Underhill gave a presentation about the county's finances at a meeting.

Following the meeting, Chief Constable James Vaughan said he is "extremely concerned" for the future.

It is the first time such a warning has been given by a high-ranking officer from Dorset.

"While we remain committed to providing the best possible policing service to communities across Dorset, I am extremely concerned that the stark reality of our current financial outlook means that we may no longer be able to provide anything but the most basic services to the most vulnerable sectors of our community," he said.

“The Chancellor’s budget this year provided much needed and welcome additional funding for health, education and defence but identified no additional funds for police forces; only a very small one-off increase to support counter terrorism policing.

"This, combined with the potential changes to employer pension contributions and normal inflationary pressures, will remove more than £4 million a year from the force budget in coming years.

"The budget for Dorset police has already reduced by £25 million since the introduction of the government’s austerity programme and, as a direct result, we have had to reduce our workforce by 500 officers and staff.

"This rate of decline simply cannot continue without having a significant impact on our services."

As reported in the Daily Echo, Dorset Police had one of their busiest summers on record this year. Reports of crime also spiked by eight per cent year-on-year, with burglaries up 300 per cent in just 12 months.

Chief Constable Vaughan said: "Demand for policing is now rising at an alarming rate.

"Crime and incidents, across the county, have increased by nearly 10 per cent over the last year and without an investment in resources that allow us to intervene early and prevent crime and anti-social behaviour I can only see that rise continuing.

“The dynamics of crime over recent years have shifted markedly and we are now experiencing higher levels of arguably the most harmful crime such as sexual assaults, domestic assaults, child sexual exploitation, modern slavery and cybercrime.

"Not only are these crimes a high threat, they also require more specialised and time-consuming investigations in order to protect and safeguard victims, particularly those who are vulnerable.

"All of these pressures take their toll on my officers and staff who are working hard to deliver services in an increasingly difficult landscape. Their frustrations at being asked to deliver so much more with so much less are clear and the strain is beginning to show.

“My predecessor and I have sought to save money by collaborating with partners such as the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and Devon and Cornwall Police, but there are limited further efficiencies that can be made in those areas.

"Dorset Police is a good force, consistently judged to be efficient and effective by our independent inspectorate. As chief constable my responsibility is to serve the people of Dorset and to continue to provide all of our communities with a good policing service.

"I will continue to work with the police and crime commissioner to do so, but it is becoming an increasing challenge.”

Mr Underhill said Dorset Police had already "endured two years of central government grant freezes" when he was first elected.

"Since that time the financial pressures placed on all forces continue to worsen, and the demands continue to increase," he said.

 “The government grant for local policing has not increased by a single penny in the last eight years, and as a result the budget for Dorset Police has reduced, in real-terms, by £25 million."

The small increase in force budget - four per cent over six years - has been met by local taxpayers.

"While I remain incredibly grateful for their continued support, it is time for the government to live up to their claim that 'public safety is the number one priority of the government', a statement made by the Home Secretary less than a fortnight ago," he said.

“We now have a force with 500 fewer officers and staff, the lowest it’s been since the early 1980s.

"The demands on the police continue to grow, with no signs of abating. 

"The increases we have seen in recorded crime, more complex crimes being committed and the need to safeguard the vulnerable in society, have all meant the police are being called upon to respond more than ever before.

“The recent budget presented by the Chancellor claimed an end to austerity; sadly this was not the case for the police. 

"As usual we must wait until December, with our caps in hand, hoping that government will offer a relief for policing.

"However, the signs look bleak."

He said Dorset now faces "stark choices".

"The reality is that we now have a perfect storm of the lowest number of officers since 1981; changing, more dangerous crime types; huge increases in crime, especially violence and knife crime; huge increases in demand, especially as other services can no longer offer support and policing must fill the gap; a government that has given unfunded pay increases; and a government that will not remove the burden of pension increases."

At the same time, the business case for the proposed merger with Devon and Cornwall demonstrated that after a decade of seeking efficiencies, there is "very little left in that cupboard", he said.

"The government has made it clear that they expect me to raise precept to resolve these issues, but the £12 limit I currently have will not even cover the pay increase and pension issue, let alone improve policing in Dorset," Mr Underhill added.

“It cannot be right that, for the first time ever, the Chief Constable and I will need to seriously consider which service must we stop in order to concentrate scarce resources on keeping people safe.

"However, that is precisely the situation in which we find ourselves.”