MERSEYSIDE Police has agreed to pay £154,000 in consultancy fees following a rise in 999 calls.

The money will be funded through an Invest to Save project, which uses money from other parts of the police budget with the aim of reinvesting in another initiative to make further savings.

Jane Kennedy, Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside, told the PCC panel that she has needed “convincing” by the force to use consultants to carry out the work.

She said: “What it’s about is trying to understand why 999 calls have gone up to the extent that they have – 20 per cent across the whole of the country – we don’t know why that’s happening.

“We also need to understand when that call comes in, how is it then managed through the organisation.

“Although I have pushed back for some time on this, the force eventually said they didn’t have sufficient expertise within Merseyside Police to lead on this without employing external advice.”

Keith Pickup, an independent co-opted member of the PCC panel, said he was very “concerned” by the move and questioned whether the work could be carried out internally.

Mr Pickup said: “I’m not arguing with arguments that have been presented but I still very seriously question whether £154,000 is a good use and a proper use of money when the results can actually be achieved by simple and direct methods without involving outsiders.”

Ms Kennedy said Merseyside Police’s corporate structures have been reduced so much that staff are not able to carry out the work themselves.

The former Labour MP added that staff often find themselves caught in a “vortex of demand”.

“Because we are in the position that we are the police feel as though they do not currently have that expertise,” she said.

“Instead of going out to advertise to bring someone in who might have it, they want somebody to a specific piece of work that will achieve in quicker time an objective – which I support – which is finding new ways of doing things going forward that will save money internally and move staff to the frontline.

“At the moment staff find themselves, sometimes caught up in a bit of a vortex of demand.

“And we need to make sure they are supported and helped to deliver all the time in the most effective and efficient way.

“I’m convinced and have accepted that we’re not quite there yet and in order to get there they need to spend this money.”