Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable have sent their responses to proposed policing cuts to the Home Office today.
Richard Rhodes and Jerry Graham have both written to the Policing Minister Mike Penning to express their views against the proposed cuts.
It's believed that a spending review published next month will reveal that Cumbria Police will have £26m cut from their budget by 2020.
Mr Rhodes says that the area is being penalised because it's mainly rural.
He also claims the government's consultation on the proposed budget cuts is "flawed."
Police and Crime Commissioner Richard Rhodes said: “Cumbria is a unique place with its sparsely populated rural areas on the one hand and its large number of visitors on the other. Unfortunately, the proposed changes under the funding formula do not reflect this at all.
“My view is that some aspects of the consultation are flawed in their methodology. For example, Cumbria has the same number of bars as other areas but because there are twice as many hectares in the county it attracts only half the funding under the proposals. There aren’t too many bars on the tops of Skiddaw and Helvellyn!
“We are being penalised for our rurality. Policing a rural area is difficult as we have to get around the Lake District with technology and vehicles often being more expensive in terms of cost and the number of people required.
“Given that about 85% of all expenditure for Cumbria Constabulary is wages and salaries, this is an area that will have to come under scrutiny.
“We have put a robust case forward to the Home Office with the support of our local MPs and many others across the County. I would ask that our points are listened to and considered with the relevance that they deserve.”
Chief Constable Jerry Graham said:
“I am deeply concerned at the impact that these proposed cuts would have on policing in Cumbria, and I will be awaiting the outcome of this consultation process with great interest.
“We have received a great deal of public support, which has been appreciated by our staff and officers who are continuing to provide a professional service in a challenging time.
“Cumbria is a unique place to police, and we have worked hard to protect frontline officers and neighbourhood policing as far as possible in the face of previous cuts, as we know this approach helps to keep the county safe.
“I have worked closely with Mr Rhodes to prepare our response to the consultation, and I share his hopes that our views are listened to and taken into consideration when making final decisions.”