- Council tax payers in Gloucestershire will pay more this year for their police.
- A 10.6% increase in the Police precept will add an extra to £2 per month for the average householder and will give the Constabulary an extra £4.1m to spend.
- The extra investment will enable the Constabulary to create about 80 new roles, a combination of police officers and police staff members.
- Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl said he would continue to lobby for a fairer funding settlement from Government
Householders in Gloucestershire will pay more for policing from April. The final stage in the process for fixing the part of the council tax which goes towards policing was completed when Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Martin Surl formally agreed to raise the precept.
The official announcement followed:
- An open letter from the Chief Constable to the PCC requesting a 10.6% increase in the precept which also explained why it was necessary
- The unanimous support of Gloucestershire County Council’s Police and Crime Panel
- A public consultation in which a majority of people gave their support
The 10.6% rise is the maximum permitted by the Home Office and will see the average householder’s council tax bill rise by an extra £2 per month. Taking into account rising inflation and other commitments agreed by the Government, it will give the Chief Constable an extra £4.1m to invest.
Mr. Surl said, “The Chief Constable made a compelling case and I am grateful both for the support of the Police and Crime Panel and to everyone who contributed to the debate through the public consultation.
“Gloucestershire already receives one of the lowest grants from Central Government and I will continue to lobby for a fairer allocation of funds. I have also made it clear that I think police funding should be the responsibility of National Government and that the big internet companies, who must bear much of the responsibility for the increase in web related crime, should pay their share.
“For the foreseeable future, though, the Government has decided to put the burden on local people so we have no other choice.
“The Chief Constable’s case to me was based on anecdotal evidence and sound research of the Constabulary’s needs and I will be holding him to account on his plans in the months ahead”.
As in previous years, 1% of the budget will be made available to continue to support community projects and programmes managed through the Commissioner’s Fund.
