Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Tax rise to fund police while force set to cut PCSOS
Average household to pay £15 extra a year
The Police and Crime Commissioner has defended raising council tax by an average of £15 a year per household in the wake of cuts to officer numbers. Matthew Scott says he “deeply regrets” plans to cut up to 232 community support officer (PCSO) posts, which are currently being worked out, but insists they were necessary. The force is trying to find £14 million in savings – £6.8 million of which is due to come from a shake-up of neighbourhood enforcement.
During a meeting of Kent and Medway police and crime panel at County Hall last week, councillors approved an increase to the force’s council tax precept. It will rise by £1.25 a month for the average band D household, or £15 a year.
This is the maximum allowed under precept-setting rules. Last year, the annual increase was £10.
Mr Scott said: “It’s not a deci
sion that I took lightly.
“I do appreciate the challenges many people are facing at the moment with increases in utilities and other costs, but the decision came down to, what do I do instead?
“We need the money to maintain policing services in this county.
“There’s a gap between how much income that we would generate from the government and other sources so, unfortunately, it was necessary. “My commitment is I will make sure it is well spent and we get a good policing service as a result.”
The amount the force will get from the government – £700,000 – was criticised by councillors, who also considered the results of the annual policing survey. Of the residents who responded, and had reported a crime last year, less than half were dissatisfied with the service they received.
But Medway councillor Gary Hackwell (Con), said: “I noticed within the survey the top requirement for the public was neighbourhood policing. “The public sees neighbourhood policing as PCSOS, and you’re taking them away. “They’re not going to be too enamoured to pay more precept because you’re taking away the one thing they think is the most important.”
Mr Scott responded: “The funding formula that we’ve had now for 15 years is not fair for Kent.
“We’re on the borders of London and the continent, so we deal with London’s crime, but we don’t get the captital’s funding for it.”