Police boss plans 6.5% tax increase

Council taxpayers face another hike in their bills to cover the cost of policing in Kent, with a 6.5% increase being proposed by crime commissioner Matthew Scott.

His budget plans will mean the average bill for homes in Band D will rise to £243.15 a year from £228.15 – an extra £1.25 a month. The 6.5% increase is lower than the inflation rate of 10%.

However, balancing the books has meant the force having to save £14.1 million. Some £6.8m of that is being made through the Neighbourhood Policing Review but the remaining £7.3m has yet to be identified.

The commissioner said the budget would maintain the record level of police officer numbers in Kent, which now has 358 more officers than it did in 2010.

However, government funding to Kent has increased by only £4.1m and that sum includes a projected 2% pay award to police officers but not for police staff. The force is in negotiations with union officials representing PCSOs about job losses. Under the plans, the number of PCSOs will be cut to just 104 and, together with cuts to support staff, 232 posts are set to be lost.

Commissioner Scott said the hike in bills to the maximum level without the need to hold a referendum was not taken lightly.

He also warned the increase would only mitigate some of the pressures facing the force but insisted it would maintain police officer numbers as well as replacing some PCSOs with regular police officers.

The Kent and Medway Police and Crime Panel will vote on whether to accept the budget proposal this week.