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 said he “deeply regrets” plans to cut up to 232 Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) posts, which are currently being worked out, but said they were necessary.
The force is trying to find £14 million in savings – £6.8 million of which are due to come from a shake-up of neighbourhood policing.
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
decision that I took lightly. I do appreciate the challenges which 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 be getting 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, just less than half were dissatisfied with the service they received.
But Medway Cllr Gary Hackwell (Con), said: “I noticed within the survey the top requirement for the public was neighbourhood policing. The public see 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 said: “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, we deal with London’s crime, but we don’t get London’s funding for it.”