Police boss warns of a tax rise to pay for officers

COUNCIL TAX in South Yorkshire may need to be raised to pay for a shortfall of police officers, the force’s commissioner says.

Dr Alan Billings warned of the potential rise this week.

The South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner said that although the Government has promised 20,000 extra police officers, these extra officers will simply restore the number lost because of government cuts over the last 11 years.

“Over this period, the population has grown and crime has changed,” Dr Billings said.

“The years when the force was being cut saw the growth of organised criminal gangs, especially those involved in drugs, and a rise in violent crime.

“It also saw the exponential growth of cybercrime.

“We need the 20,000 to make up for what has been lost, but we also need additional officers to combat the new threats.”

Dr Billings added that the cost of the extra officers will not be fully funded by the Government, and warned that some of the cash must come from council tax in April, when the budget is announced.

Police and Crime Commissioners across the country are permitted to raise the precept on council tax by £ 15 per year on a band D property, which is currently £ 198.

Dr Billings said: “The 20,000 is about restoring police numbers to where they were in 2010.

“Whatever our final quota turns out to be, and we have not been told, not all officers will go into neighbourhood teams because not all those lost were from neighbourhood teams.

“And we will have to pay towards the extra numbers – or we won’t get them,” added Dr Billings.