Debate over a tax deal for volunteers
ARE DISCOUNTS FOR POLICE WORKERS FAIR?
COUNCIL tax discounts for special constables in the East Riding “blows a hole” in the authority’s equality policy by leaving other emergency volunteers out, a councillor has said.
Cllr Ros Jump told East Riding Council’s Overview and Management Scrutiny Committee the discounts, introduced in April, could give the impression the authority was essentially subsidising police recruitment.
She added the council adopted the policy because it did not want to be the “party pooper” by remaining the only authority in the Humberside Police area without such discounts.
But Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter said the scheme was needed to attract recruits to the volunteer position.
He added the discounts, costing £2,263 between April and the end of August, was “value for money” providing £90,500 worth of police work in hours worked by special constables.
Councillors heard 15 special constables, part time volunteers who work alongside salaried officers, were eligible for the discounts out of a total of 31 in the East Riding.
Special constables have to work at least 16 hours a month to qualify for the scheme which will cost an estimated £4,600 by the end of next March. The council is set to review the discounts in March to see if they should continue or possibly be extended to other services.
Mr Hunter said he welcomed the discounts, which would help give the East Riding the police presence “it deserves”.
The commissioner added College of Policing analysis showed the £90,500 worth of police worked provided by special constables was up from £47,300 a year ago.
He also said he could look at raising the amount the force asks for from council tax, the police precept, if the council stops the discounts.
Mr Hunter said: “The discounts put us at the forefront nationally.
“There are 31 special constables in the East Riding who’ve volunteered 5,844 hours from April to the end of July. The East Riding is currently getting £90,500 worth of police work from the special constables, compared to the cost of the discount to the council that’s value for money.
“My office is sharing the cost for special constables, there’s going to be a substantial cost in getting them into the Police Federation which will give them the protection against legal challenges that regular officers have. My ambition has been to spread police resources as far as possible into local communities.
“It’s about the gesture itself, not about finding an extra £4,000, I could put up the police precept to fund it and that might be an option if the council doesn’t agree to the continue the discount.”
But Cllr Jump said she felt the East Riding had been “railroaded” into introducing the discount.
Cllr Jump said: “We’ve got to look seriously at our other first responders, because as the public perceives it now we’re subsidising police recruitment. We should add it to the police precept so people can see how much this is costing.
“This blows a hole in our own equality policy, the police volunteers are doing a really wonderful job, but there needs to be a level playing field between them and other services.”
Cllr John Copsey said having no discounts for other volunteers also caused him “some concern”.
Cllr Copsey said: “Here in the East Riding we have the RNLI life boats and the Humber and Hornsea Sea Rescue service we’ve got to consider.
“Special constables often do dangerous work, but are we going to look at other services too?”
Cllr Ben Weeks said he “wasn’t a fan” of the discount, saying the force should fund the recruitment of special constables themselves.
Cllr Paul Nickerson said he supported the discount because the role of special constable encompassed more than other blue light services.