Police and crime commissioner hears views on precept rise

CHESHIRE’S police and crime commissioner John Dwyer has been out and about canvassing the public in Widnes and Runcorn over a proposed rise to the policing part of residents’ council tax bills and his wider budget.

Mr Dwyer set up a stall outside Morrisons in Widnes and also at Asda in Runcorn to speak to shoppers and find out their thoughts on the policing precept increase, which he said equates to about 83p per month for an average Band D property.

The commissioner is hoping to increase officer numbers in the county by 120 alongside 63 extra “frontline support staff” including in the call centre.

His plans also includes an increased focus on road safety and tackling antisocial behaviour.

Mr Dwyer said: “It’s vital for me to hear from the public about their priorities and how they want their police service to be funded in order to deliver them.

“I know that the cost of living is an issue for people and that view was expressed in my autumn survey last year, which received nearly 19,000 responses.

“In the same survey, people indicated they were willing to pay more via their local council tax.

“That’s why I’m keen to stress that this proposed increase is below the current rate of inflation, but will also enable the constabulary to deliver what people want, including the highest number of officers Cheshire has ever had on its current boundaries.” He added: “I want to thank everyone who took the time out of their day to speak to me and share their views.

“I will collate the feedback and present my final recommendation to the police and crime panel towards the end of this month.”

Find Mr Dwyer’s survey to share thoughts on the proposed increase by searching online for surveymonkey.co.uk and “your police budget John Dwyer”.