Mayor says proposed police precept rise not linked to £65m accounting error
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has said a proposed rise in the police precept is not linked to the £65m accounting error uncovered in South Yorkshire Police’s finances, insisting the increase would have happened regardless.
Speaking after the Home Office granted special financial flexibility to the force, Coppard said the £17m capitalisation direction did not wipe out police debt, but instead allowed the cost to be spread over time.
"It doesn't make any of the debt go away. It just spreads the cost of that debt, essentially, which is helpful to us, and I'm grateful to the government for working with us to help solve that problem."
The accounting errors, which went unnoticed for around five years, were discovered in 2024 after responsibility for policing transferred from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).
The mistakes related to failures to properly budget for legally required debt repayments, leaving a £65m gap between what should have been set aside and what was accounted for. Once identified, SYMCA issued a Section 114(2) report, signalling unlawful financial practice, though leaders stressed the force was not bankrupt and frontline policing was unaffected.
He said the problem was first identified after the Police and Crime Commissioner’s team moved into the mayoral authority.
“The checks and balances are more robust in a mayor’s office,” he added.
He added that while many PCCs across the country had operated effectively, the mayoral model provided stronger oversight, a point he linked to the government’s decision to scrap PCC roles where mayoral boundaries align.
An independent review by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has been commissioned to examine how the errors occurred. Coppard said the report had taken longer than expected but would be published as soon as possible.
He said the review would be published as soon as possible to give the public confidence in South Yorkshire Police and its finances.
Last week, the mayor launched a public consultation on plans to increase the police precept by up to £15 a year for a Band D property. Coppard said the proposed rise was not influenced by the accounting error.
“Yes, there would be a precept increase. Absolutely, it’s not changed that precept increase,” he said. “What the precept is for is investing in things like neighbourhood policing and making sure we get the services we need and deserve.”
He added that forces across England were moving towards the maximum precept increase allowed, reflecting long-standing expectations set by successive governments.
The £17m Home Office support does not involve new funding, but allows existing capital resources to be used temporarily for day-to-day policing costs while the force rebalances its finances.
Coppard said discussions with government over longer-term police funding were continuing.