Local policing will be given a boost to help tackle anti-social behaviour, restore neighbourhood policing and make our streets safer, the Home Secretary has announced – but it will come at a cost to the taxpayer.
Part of the Government’s Plan for Change, next year Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary will see a funding increase of 6% to help officers tackle the priorities that matter.
It means the force will receive a total of £490million from central Government. However, Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones will be expected to make full use of her ability to raise the council tax precept which will mean an additional £14 per annum on the precept for the average Band D property.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said:
“Today’s settlement provides a substantial increase in funding for policing to help deliver on this Government’s Safer Streets mission, fundamental to our Plan for Change. This vital funding boost will enable forces to kickstart the recruitment of neighbourhood police officers and crack down on the crimes blighting our high streets and town centres.
“We recognise the financial and operational challenges that police forces across the country have faced in recent years, and that is why we are providing a significant and much-needed increase in funding to help forces protect the public and keep our streets safe.
“We will also work closely with forces at a national and regional level to maximise efficiency and innovation, so that every penny they receive goes as far as possible and provides real value for the public.”
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson adds:
“We are determined to deliver for the people up and down this country and make good on our promise to reform policing, halve knife crime and tackle anti-social behaviour head on.
“This settlement aims to do just that, providing a significant and substantial increase in funding that will allow polices forces to get a grip on the criminality and make our streets and communities safer.”
Yet another disingenious story from the government, higher bills for the local tax payer, oddly those that pay the council tax require the police far less than those that don’t, I suppose its just another way of the labour government to bring us down to one base level.
Workers will always pay for the shirkers in
society.
Let’s hope Donna prioritises more traffic Police
To STOP speeding and parking illegally on
Double Yellow Lines etc.
That’ll be the day when the police get back to basics and deal with parking matters. It’s been farmed out to council busybodies with no sense of discretion for years. Needs to be brought back under police control with proper Traffic Wardens, directly employed by and answerable to the police, enforcing a breadth of legislation like it used to be.
Another money-grab by fat Donna. Far better to get rid of these pointless and largely unaccountable empire-building Police and Crime Commissioners and use the millions saved to directly fund grassroots policing.