Budget cuts and job losses as Cambridgeshire Police announce a massive restructure

120820 Cambridgeshire police operation
Jobs are going at Cambridgeshire Police as they make budget cuts

The Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire has announced job cuts and a series of closures today as part of a restructuring aimed at making sure budget gaps can be met next year and beyond.

Nick Dean says the force needs to make considerable cost savings to avoid using financial reserves. The move comes even though the force will be getting cash from the government as part of the plan to have an extra 20,000 officers across the country.

Chief Constable Nick Dean presided over the hearing. Credit: Cambs Police

PCSO numbers across the county will be halved from eighty to forty, the community safety role is being scrapped leading to another six job losses and although police stations will remain open, nine enquiry offices will closed with anyone needing to see an officer now having to make an appointment.

Mr Dean also says that will lead to more officers on the beat as he feels it's crucial to have effective Neighbourhood Police teams.

The initial period of staff consultation has started and will last until 20 November.  

Cambridgeshire Police have announced a massive restructuring including cuts to PCSO numbers

The planned changes in full:

  • The reduction of PCSOs from 80 to 40, but with a single role profile and improved alignment to their team and they will cover all 28 neighbourhoods in the county to deal with the issues that matter most to the local community

  • The removal of the community safety team, resulting in the reduction of six community safety officer posts across the force

  • The delivery public enquiry offices providing a seven day a week provision at Thorpe Wood and Parkside Police Stations

  • The closure of nine enquiry offices (NOT the police stations), with the implementation of a team of police officers to provide people in each local authority area with an appointment-based service to allow members of the public to make an appointment to speak to an officer.  This will result in a reduction of enquiry officers from 17 to 11

  • The remodelling of the citizens in policing team, including the removal of the Head of Citizens in Policing and Special Constabulary post (which is currently vacant)

  • In the north and south, the development of Area Command Cells and Neighbourhood Support Teams to deliver consistent and efficient neighbourhood policing across the whole force, and Continuous Professional Development Units (CPDU), to support officers with ongoing operational competence and training, now and into the future with the introduction of PEQF (Policing Education Qualifications Framework) as an entry route into policing