Multiple eyes missed £65million police fund shortfall in South Yorkshire says former crime commissioner

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EXCLUSIVE: The former Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire, Dr Alan Billings, has said it is not clear to him why a £65million shortfall in local police finances was not picked up.

Finance staff at the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) identified the black hole following the transfer of the functions of the Police and Crime Commissioner to the South Yorkshire Mayor’s office.

According to a SYMCA report, the former Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) had borrowed £65m for investments into police kits, vehicles and IT services.

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Policing in South Yorkshire faces significant challenges after the discovered of a £65million black hole in the local police fund.Policing in South Yorkshire faces significant challenges after the discovered of a £65million black hole in the local police fund.
Policing in South Yorkshire faces significant challenges after the discovered of a £65million black hole in the local police fund. | National World

The report found the omission of the £65m was “inadvertent” with Mayor Oliver Coppard stating it was down to “fundamental human error” in an interview with The Star today.

Dr Alan Billings, who served as the Police and Crime Commissioner until his office was combined with the Mayor’s earlier this year, said he did not understand why the shortfall was not picked up, claiming there were eyes from numerous places who could have identified the issue, but failed.

He said: “It is not clear to me how this was missed or why it was not picked up by the finance officers in either the police or the Office for Police and Crime Commissioner, by the internal audit, by the external auditors or by the Home Office. But it wasn't.”

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Dr Alan Billings stood down as Police and Crime Commissioner when his office was combined with that of the South Yorkshire Mayor.Dr Alan Billings stood down as Police and Crime Commissioner when his office was combined with that of the South Yorkshire Mayor.
Dr Alan Billings stood down as Police and Crime Commissioner when his office was combined with that of the South Yorkshire Mayor.

Dr Billings said the OPCC had only a chief finance officer and an assistant in it’s finance team and said “the main work is undertaken by the much bigger finance staff in the police”.

A spokesperson at South Yorkshire Police (SYP) said: “As stated in the report published by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Statutory Officers, there was a significant omission identified in the accounting practices of the Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner.

“It is clear within legislation South Yorkshire Police is not responsible for approving the accounts of the OPCC, however we will now bear the burden of this error.”

South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney has said she is disappointed to learn of a 'significant error' in the financial accounts of the former office of the police and crime commissioner.South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney has said she is disappointed to learn of a 'significant error' in the financial accounts of the former office of the police and crime commissioner.
South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney has said she is disappointed to learn of a 'significant error' in the financial accounts of the former office of the police and crime commissioner. | National World
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Dr Billings said the issue “must now be dealt with”, adding: “Financial adjustments are made to the budget all the time and the job of the PCC/Mayor is to deal with them.

“For example, each year provision is made in the budget for civil claims arising from Hillsborough and Rotherham (CSE). These estimates may come in at a higher level or a lower level, depending on when claims are settled and for how much. It is the job of the PCC/Mayor to make budgetary adjustments accordingly. That is the job."

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has ordered an independent review into a “significant error” with the finances of the former office of the police and crime commissioner.South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has ordered an independent review into a “significant error” with the finances of the former office of the police and crime commissioner.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has ordered an independent review into a “significant error” with the finances of the former office of the police and crime commissioner. | SYMCA

Mayor Coppard would not rule out cuts to local policing in his interview with The Star, but said he was “frustrated” for the people of South Yorkshire. It was announced on September 27 the Mayor had ordered an independent review to be undertaken into the shortfall.

The Mayor and officers from SYMCA are now working with the government, external auditors and SYP to mitigate the impact the required charges will have on budgets going forward. It is said those conversations have been “positive”.

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Mayor Coppard said: “I have now instructed my office to bring in an external team to independently look at the processes that allowed those mistakes to go undetected for five years.

“I am grateful to South Yorkshire Police and the government for the constructive conversations we have already had about finding a sustainable solution to both these new challenges and the ongoing pressures caused by tightened police budgets over the last 14 years.

“Protecting the communities of South Yorkshire will always remain my first and most vital priority.”

The Star has approached the Home Office and the external auditors for comment.

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