Residents will be asked to dig a bit deeper and pay more towards local policing in their council tax. Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter is proposing the police precept is increased by 2.2% for 2020/21.
Mr Hunter also says that the increase is in line with inflation. If approved homeowners in Band D property will be asked to stump up 9p a week more.
In a statement released Mr Hunter said;
“Despite years of cuts from central Government and two unfunded pay rises during this year, which negatively impacted our spending plans, we have managed to keep Humberside Police on a firm financial footing through a robust strategy of managing savings and sensible use of financial reserves.”
“Working closely with the Chief Constable, this approach enabled us to embark on the biggest recruitment of new officers in the force’s history and the force now has over 1900 police officers, an increase of around 500 since I became PCC in 2016.”
“Communities are now feeling the difference of those extra officers and this will improve as time goes on unless further reductions in the value of Government grant are inflicted upon us.”
“Although we await the final settlement from the Government, I have made some assumptions based upon recent Government announcements that there will be no further cuts to policing. I am also very aware that Council Taxpayers have been hit by relatively large rises in recent years as the Government increasingly transferred the burden of paying for policing from central Government to local taxpayers.”
“I am therefore proposing an inflation-only increase to the policing precept of 2.2%. If we continue with our stringent efficiency plan, making millions of pounds of savings, this will enable us to maintain current numbers of officers with the potential for growth should the Government deliver on its recent announcements of additional officers.”
“This equates to an increase of 9p per week (£4.91 per year) in the policing precept for a Band D property. The majority of households within the Humberside Police area fall within bandings A, B and C so the financial burden would be less.”
“I will then make my proposal by the end of January which must be approved by the Humberside Police and Crime Panel.”