Boost to county’s police frontline

An additional 200 police officers are to be appointed next year, Kent crime commissioner Matthew Scott has announced.

The recruitment drive represents one of the biggest in recent years and follows a period in which the force had to make substantial savings.

The extra police officers will come at a price, however, and council taxpayers will face higher bills to meet the costs.

Under the draft budget plans, which Mr Scott unveiled on Wednesday, the bill for policing will cost taxpayers an extra £1 a month. This year, the average bill for the police tax was £157.15 which would rise to £169.15 in 2018-19. In addition, £5 million from the force’s reserves will be earmarked for recruitment if needed. And the commissioner said he was cutting £200,000 from his own office expenditure.

Mr Scott said: “These officers will go into boosting a number of areas, including rural and roads policing, local communities, fighting cyber-crime and providing greater public protection and will take the total number of police officers in Kent to its high- est level since 2012.”

There will also be a boost in the number of staff dealing with 999 emergency calls and calls to the 101 service, as well as the introduction of an online reporting service for certain issues. The plans will go out to public consultation.

Proposals for more than £9m of savings would go ahead as they would have a minimal impact on the frontline, Mr Scott said.

Views can be sent by email to haveyoursay@pcc.kent.pnn. police.uk by Saturday, January 27.