Emma Reynolds MP: £100m knife crime fund not enough
A £100 million funding pot for police forces is not enough to tackle the country's knife crime epidemic, an MP has warned.
Emma Reynolds was speaking after the Chancellor Philip Hammond pledged a share of the cash to seven forces – including West Midlands Police – in his Spring Statement.
The Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East said that while any additional funding was welcome, the force needed a proper settlement to make up for years of underfunding.
"We need substantial funding for West Midlands Police so we can put more officers on our streets urgently," she said.
"Of course, any additional funding is welcome, but a one-off pot of £100m divided by seven police forces won't deliver what we need to tackle the knife crime epidemic."
WMP has lost £175m from its budget and more than 2,000 officers since 2010.
The £100m new funding is targeted at forces dealing with the biggest challenges with knife crime. It is made up of £80m Treasury funding with £20m from the Home Office.
