Householders still have time to have their say on the amount of money local people contribute towards policing.
Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach is reminding residents they have until noon on Thursday 18 January to complete his online survey and record their views on next year’s police funding arrangements.
The PCC is asking people whether they would be prepared to pay £1 a month extra to help him address urgent crime threats across the county and increase public safety.
The consultation was launched last month in response to the government’s “flat cash” settlement announcement which depends on PCCs increasing council tax to plug the funding gap.
Announcing the details of the police settlement, Policing Minister Nick Hurd said that the Government is empowering locally elected police and crime commissioners to raise precept contributions (the policing portion of the council tax) by up to £1 a month for a typical (Band D) household. However, the Government’s police grant will remain unchanged.
A £1 a month increase would see council tax payers living in a Band D property pay an annual total of £199.23 in 2018/19 towards policing. This year, a Band D household pays a total of £187.23.
Willy Bach said: “We’ve had a good response to the survey so far, but time is running out and it’s important to me that people do have their say on this subject if they wish to. It is, after all, concerning the type of policing service they will receive in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
“While the amount of money coming from the Government next year will stay the same, it has clearly recognised the importance of increasing funding for police forces, including Leicestershire. That’s why PCCs can now increase the amount of money contributed towards policing by local people, through the police part of the council tax bill.
“Quite simply, we need additional funding to protect neighbourhood policing, to enable counter-terrorism activity and to invest in new technology.
“So, whichever way people feel about this idea, I would like them to let me know via the survey on my website.”
The survey can be found at http://www.leics.pcc.police.uk/budget-consultation
Ends
In 2017/18 the budget for policing Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland was set at £171.6m, of which two-thirds comes from Central Government with a third coming from local taxpayers through the policing element of the council tax.
Media Enquiries: Sallie Blair - 01283 821012 / 07702 541401
Posted on Tuesday 9th January 2018