Kent Police facing £20m savings over next three years

Kent Police is facing £20m of cuts over the next three years, including an extra £2.7m this year.

Kent Police Authority said the tighter budget would not be at the price of a reduced policing service, or officers being cut from the frontline.

Following a meeting of the authority this week, chairwoman Ann Barnes said: "None of us are looking forward to making cuts and savings."

She said the "day-to-day quality of policing" would stay the same.

"This is not a new programme of work or a knee-jerk reaction.

"However, due to the number of savings and efficiencies that must be made, the authority, who hold the purse strings, has obviously got to do more to ensure the force can work with what funding we have," Ms Barnes said.

Temporary Chief Constable for Kent Police Adrian Leppard said the challenge was to look at "how we do business and to deliver the same, or an even better policing service, with less money".

"I'm confident that we can do this and we are looking at various ways we can maximise savings such as focusing on how the force is structured, our collaboration work with Essex Police and more efficient ways of working."

He said: "We have already started this process because we knew six months ago that there were likely to be more cuts in the public sector.

"I believe this process will improve the service we are offering to the public by ensuring police officers get to more scenes of crime and anti-social behaviour."