Assessing the UK Football Policing Unit Funding of Football Banning Orders in Times of Policing Austerity

Abstract

Abstract This article examines how austerity measures have affected football policing units in UK, with a specific focus on the use of UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) funding for football banning orders. The research utilizes semi-structured interviews with football police officers and examines publicly available Home Office data. Austerity measures were found to be restrictive to operational deployments at football matches, reducing opportunities for early intervention, liaison-based policing, and evidence gathering. The findings offer limited support to previous research into UKFPU funding, in that it is a target driven process. However, new accounts are emerging which show that officers are rejecting the idea of funding for banning orders, and that reform is needed. This could be in the guise of UKFPU funding being utilized for other football policing activities that are aimed at preventing disorder, and engaging supporters into positive behaviour change.