Police to avoid job cuts with new funding package
Jobs cuts will be avoided within Lincolnshire Police after the force was allocated an increased funding package.
After months of negotiation with the Home Office the new funding deal will mean widespread staff and officer reductions will not be necessary and the force will be able to provide a level of policing that will keep the county safe, according to force chiefs.
Lincolnshire Police has been allocated £100.1m for 2026/27 as part of this year’s police funding settlement - an increase from £95.6m allocated last year and, crucially, it has also been given exceptional financial support of an additional £12m per annum. This is confirmed for 2026/27 and provisionally for the following two years, in recognition of the uniquely challenging circumstances the force faces.
This time last year Chief Constable Paul Gibson had warned that without improved funding he would have to make widespread and disabling cuts across the organisation that would result in up to 400 job losses.
Instead, the organisation can comfortably recruit back to strength and invest in other areas of safety-critical functions.
The Chief Constable said: "This is a very good day for Lincolnshire Police and Lincolnshire communities. To have this level of funding for this amount of time is unprecedented for the force and will allow us to build back to peak numbers and means we will be able to properly, strategically plan for the future.
"Securing additional funding has been a joint endeavour between myself and PCC Marc Jones, and of course many colleagues across the Force, and I know I speak for us all when I say that I am very pleased that we have been allocated this improved funding. It provides us with stability and optimism and recognises the unique and challenging nature of policing in Lincolnshire.
“Three years of stability for the Force is welcome news and a welcome relief - for our own staff who are dedicated to serving communities in this county, not to mention the further job security now on offer, and also good news for the people we serve who can now be more certain that Lincolnshire Police will be there for them if they need it.
"We must remember that we also rely on our council tax precept to fund the remainder of the budget, and that will be proposed and presented to the Police and Crime Panel by the PCC in early February 2026 to seek its support.
"I must also offer the slight caveat that these financial arrangements allow us to build back to numbers of police officers and staff that we know are more effective in keeping communities safe, but we still remain underfunded when compared to many forces and we will still face a budget gap in year four when this package of measures runs out. We acknowledge that the baseline funding allocated to this Force simply is not adequate, and the PCC and I will continue lobbying for improved funding for Lincolnshire in coming years.
"But this is a good day for Lincolnshire Police. We will invest in recruiting more people and can now plan more strategically for the next few years and look at how we continue to improve policing in Lincolnshire.
"I remain incredibly proud to be Chief Constable of this Force. I have always said that the best thing about Lincolnshire Police is its people, and this last year has highlighted that more than ever. They have faced extraordinary pressure over these last 12 months and have continued to work hard every day to deliver the best possible standard of policing.
"I look forward to continuing working with my colleagues and to work more with our communities as we deliver an improved, forward-looking, and more secure Lincolnshire Police."