The Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner has written to the Home Secretary asking for help coping with budget cuts.
Beds Police is one of five forces in the country that will struggle to cope with further cuts, according to the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HIMC)’s annual report.
Commissioner Olly Martins wants permission from the Home Office to increase council tax by £5 per household without having to hold a referendum each year, and to receive the amount of government funding the force should get instead of being “docked £2m - £3m each year”.
A second letter, sent by Mr Martins and Chief Constable Colette Paul to local MPs, says: “We ask that you make whatever representations you can to support us to ensure the current proactive policing that is reducing the number of crimes and increasing the number of detections in Bedfordshire does not vanish.”
Crime has fallen by 11 per cent overall in Beds, and the HIMC report says the force has responded well to cuts, transforming services and improving performance, but as one of the smallest in the country, it has limited opportunities to reduce costs further.
Mr Martins said the force is “lean, low cost and nonetheless one of the most efficient and effective in the country.”