Warwickshire's two most senior police figures are calling on the Chancellor to make policing a priority in the upcoming Autumn Budget.

Their call comes after new figures from the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed that Warwickshire has seen the biggest drop in government police funding per person in England and Wales. 

This is despite the county's population growing faster than anywhere else.

Between 2015 and 2024, Warwickshire's population increased by about 12 percent, while government funding per head fell by the same amount. 

The NAO says this combination of rising demand and shrinking central support is putting Warwickshire Police under "increasing financial pressure."

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said: "Warwickshire is growing faster than anywhere else in the country, yet our police funding is shrinking.

"This is a clear and urgent signal that the current funding formula is broken. It fails to reflect the real pressures on our force and the needs of our communitiÏes."

Mr Seccombe is now urging the Chancellor to use the November Budget to give the Home Office extra resources so that a full and fair review of the police funding formula can take place.

This hasn't been updated since 2013.



NOA Police funding (image supplied)

At the moment, around half of Warwickshire Police's budget comes from the local Police Precept, meaning more of the cost falls on local taxpayers.

While Mr Seccombe said he has worked to protect frontline services, he warned that relying on savings and council tax rises each year cannot continue.

He added that "Warwickshire deserves a fair share of national police funding" which reflects its population growth, the "complexity of modern crime", and the need for investestment in technology and infrastructure.

"The Chief Constable and I are committed to delivering a high-quality police service and we have carefully structured our budgets year on year to deliver improvements, despite the inherent imbalance the current funding formula deals us.

"In the longer term this is unsustainable and we need a fair funding settlement, which properly recognises the increases in population, demand and capabilities that we face.

"Without this, I am forced each year to ask Warwickshire residents to pay an ever-higher amount from their Council Tax to fund essential services.

"This is fundamentally unfair, particularly when people in other parts of the country pay considerably less, despite already receiving a higher proportion of central government funding."

Having previously written to ministers calling for an updated funding formula, along with other Police and Crime Commissioners, Mr Seccombe noted all appeals so far have "fallen on deaf ears."

Mr Seccombe further criticised the Home Office for being unable to secure the resources it needs from the Treasury, noting that His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Policing has backed calls for policing to receive the support "it has been denied for too long."

Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith added: "Policing demand is going up and funding is going down.

"This is neither right for policing services in our county and nor is it right for Warwickshire taxpayers.

 "Public funding is precious and we will continue to focus all of our available resources on the things that matter to local people.

"However, this latest data provides a stark reality of the unfairness in how Central Government funding has decreased more in Warwickshire than anywhere else. Furthermore, it demonstrates the lack of a level playing field when it comes to policing across England and Wales."

Details of the police funding settlement for 2026/27 are expected in December, following the Chancellor's Autumn Budget.

Once those figures are confirmed, the Commissioner will consult the public before setting Warwickshire's policing budget in February 2026.