Paying for police Tax rise will put more officers on streets

COUNCILLORS have backed proposals to increase the police’s share of the Council Tax bill to pay for dozens more officers.

The average Band D household in Gloucestershire would pay the equivalent of £2 a month more in a 10 per cent rise proposed by Gloucestershire Constabulary.

The money, expected to raise £4.1million, would fund 74 police officers in the county.

The police and crime panel – made up of councillors from numerous local authorities – unanimously supported the proposed increase.

Gloucestershire Chief Constable Rod Hansen made a direct appeal to Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl calling for the increase to ensure the force can battle serious and organised crime, remain visible on the streets and protect the most vulnerable.

In a letter seen by the Echo, Mr Hansen said Gloucestershire is the eighth lowest-funded force in the country.

The letter said Gloucestershire receives £86.43 per head in core grant funding from the Government against the national average of £121.02.

It read: “Society, not just the police, has opened its eyes to things that were previously hidden.

“It’s right that we expect our police service to do all of these things but we need the resources to do them better.”

Mr Hansen said: “The increases we are proposing are necessary to develop and optimise our response to emergencies, how we tackle organised crime and how we protect the public.

“They won’t all directly result in officers being more visible but we are very aware, from our consultation work, that accessibility is important to the public and I can reassure people that the measures will also help free up frontline officers on to the streets.

“Increasing the precept by £2 a month, I would argue, is therefore crucial to delivering a service that can address our competing demands and those of the public.”

The extra money will go on: An increase in response officers. An additional team of officers to crack down on serious drugs and violence-related crime. More roads officers.

An increase in officers to roam town and city streets at the weekends.

More staff to help improve the Constabulary’s service to vulnerable adults.

Figures released by the Home Office last week revealed Gloucestershire has lost 238 police officers since 2010.

The force had the equivalent of 1,071 full-time police officers in September, two fewer than in March.

According to the Mr Hansen’s letter to Mr Surl, the number of 999 calls the constabulary received rose by nearly 5,000 in 2018 compared to 2017.

Approving the Council Tax rise, councillors unanimously agreed for Mr Surl to continue to lobby the Government in cracking down on big internet companies and businesses which “must bear much of the responsibility for the increase in web related crimes”

Council Tax payers will see the increase of 10.6 per cent on their bill from April 1.

A public consultation by the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office asking residents for their views on what the new money should be spent on will end on February 28. leigh.boobyer@reachplc.com