London police budget is lean: Chief Duncan

London police are calling it a cut-to-the-bone budget as the police services board hammered out and approved the police force's fiscal needs for 2014.

The police board says they've gone way beyond sharpening their pencils. In fact, they had to dig into reserves just to make-it. According to London Police Chief Brad Duncan, the budget for 2014 is lean.

A 3.3 per cent increase represents $2.9 million on a total budget of almost $93-million. That was reached by dipping into a reserve fund for $528,000.

“The public has told us they want more in-regards to cybercrimes and child luring,” says Duncan. “This though is a maintenance budget.”

About 95 per cent of the budget is made up of fixed contractual obligations for wages. The 3.3 per cent increase is down from the initial figures of 4.2 per cent partly because of the reserved funds.

The police budget will go before city hall for final approval sometime in January.