Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick says the Government’s police funding formula is so against Lincolnshire ‘it’s almost unbelievable’
Speaking at a public meeting at the South Kesteven District Council offices in St Peter’s Hill, Mr Hardwick was asked by Councillor Mark Ashberry: “What are you doing to get a fairer deal for Lincolnshire?”
Mr Hardwick replied that he is working with other commissioners from other rural counties including Wiltshire in order to highlight funding shortfalls to the Home Secretary Theresa May.
Mr Hardwick said: “The funding is so much against Lincolnshire that it is almost unbelievable. It’s almost as if someone has said ‘which county shall we pillory? Okay, Lincolnshire’.
“They have drawn up all these rules which manage to make Lincolnshire come out worst every time.
“It’s not fair. Others have put up with it but it is time it was stopped, frankly.”
Mr Hardwick implied that criminals are aware of the lack of funding Lincolnshire Police has when they make the decision to travel from outside of the county to commit crimes here. He described Lincolnshire as “lucrative” for “travelling crime”.
Mr Hardwick said: “We are a massive rural county and criminals know what kind of police resources we have.”