THE POLICE and Crime Commissioner in Thames Valley has said that residents in the region are being “short-changed” as a result of supposed poor funding for state visit services.
PCC Matthew Barber has written to the Home Secretary demanding that the Home Office reconsiders “flawed” funding arrangements for events of national significance.
State visits are events which have a number of specific requirements from policing services due to higher safety concerns, often drawing resources away from day-to-day policing.
The Home Office will meet additional costs, such as hire of equipment, but will not fund the actual cost of officer time for the police force hosting the event. Police Officers come from across the country to support these events, and their own local police forces can reclaim the cost of their time.
Mr Barber has claimed that Thames Valley Police are not being allowed to make the same claim for police officer time.
In the case of the visit of President Trump last year, known as Op Liberty, this means that Thames Valley Police is unable to reclaim around £900,000.
Thames Valley Police has a history of policing moments of national importance, including royal weddings and the funeral of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The force says that the frequency of these events has however increased with a regular schedule of state visits taking place in Berkshire whilst Buckingham Palace undergoes refurbishment.
