THE crime commissioner for Essex has warned of further redundancies at Essex Police if the Government insists the force recruit more police officers without providing extra funding.

Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst, who is due to speak at a public meeting in Thurrock on Monday (1 December), has warned that Essex Police is facing a worst-case scenario of a £14 million deficit in 2026/27 if it only increases its police precept for Essex taxpayers by 2.5 per cent.

Mr Hirst, who will lose his position when the role of Police Commissioner is scrapped, said he was currently going through various scenarios – one of which includes facing a deficit of £9.2 million, which could only be achieved with a £14 increase (or a 5.36 per cent increase) in the precept, which is included in council tax payments.

He said the force will have a clearer picture of what is expected of them from the Government around the middle of December. However, he warned there was potential for unfunded pressure if the government wants to stick to its commitment of adding an additional 13,000 officers, police constables, and specials by the end of the parliament.

This could result in further cuts to backroom staff. Essex Police have already made cuts to backroom staff this year, with as many as 65 redundancies, partly due to the closing of station front desks at four locations across the county.

Mr Hirst said: "It looks like we're going to be really squeezed, and that's where you get the worst case deficit from. Which makes it look like we're really going to have to struggle and find quite substantial savings from elsewhere.

"The question I have to answer is if I do that, should I be doing the maximum on council tax to make sure we have the maximum number of people or is that the government creating a problem for us and if we're going to have to make cuts we may as well make cuts and I need to make sure the council tax isn't increased by more than inflation."

Mr Hirst said increasing the precept by the maximum of £14 would still not cover the gap.

He said: "It wouldn't cover all of that gap. That's the point. I'd be raising the council tax and still making police staff redundant. I hope we don't end up there. There is still plenty of negotiation to be done before the middle of December. 

"It depends on what is being asked of us. If they are asking us to hire more police officers, but are not fully funding it, we end up with that deficit and having to make savings elsewhere."

Earlier in the year, Essex Police managed to squeeze an extra £2.3 million from the Government — enough to save 99 police community support officers (PCSOs) from redundancy. However, the force did cut 65 backroom staff roles, and 74 officers were reprioritised into dedicated neighbourhood teams."