Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has set out her recommendation to the Police and Crime Panel for the police precept of the council tax this year, which looks set to increase following extensive consultation and what she says is ‘significant support’ from local residents.
On 28th January, Commissioner Jones will present her intention to increase the policing precept of the council tax by 4.4%, which is £10 per annum based on Band D properties, which will raise an additional £9million for Hampshire Constabulary in 2022/23. Almost two-thirds of local residents and partners who responded to the Commissioner’s consultation said they would agree a 4.4% increase to support policing and prevent crime.
An increase of £10 per annum (based on Band D properties) will support the delivery of the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan ‘More Police, Safer Streets’ and fund new initiatives including:
- The recruitment of 196 new police officers for Hampshire Constabulary and the enabling infrastructure, which supports the delivery of the PCC’s number one priority to have 600 more police officers by 2023 and the priority of improving police visibility
- An additional £1million in 2022/23 to support increased commissioning of services to deliver the Commissioner’s priorities to improve outcomes for victims and prevent young people from committing crime
- Significant investment in both staff and supporting infrastructure for the 101 service to reduce call waiting times and to provide improved feedback
- Investment in the police estate to ensure it remains operationally effective and provides a modern and safe working environment for police officers and staff
The precept increase will help to ensure the police have the right resources to tackle crime and the total investment by the Commissioner in the Constabulary will increase by £28million compared to the 2021/22 budget. This includes a focus on the delivery of the top 5 areas which impact the public of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight the most: serious and organised crime and countering terrorism; murder and serious violence; domestic abuse, rape and serious sexual offences; child abuse, exploitation and vulnerability, and fraud and cyber-crime.
PCC Donna Jones has said:
“I would like to thank local residents and partners for taking the time to give me their feedback through my consultation.
“With the significant support I have received and the Chief Constable’s operational recommendation, I will present my intention to the Police and Crime Panel to increase the police precept by £10 per annum this year. This will help to support the delivery of the priorities set out in my Police and Crime Plan ‘More Police, Safer Streets’ including the recruitment of 196 new police officers; improvements to 101 to reduce call waiting times and improve feedback; modern, improved and safe police buildings, and additional commissioning funds to prevent crime, divert young people away from crime and improve services for victims.
“These will all help to make Hampshire and the Isle of Wight two of the safest places to live, work and visit without fear of crime”.
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Utter and complete rubbish. The isle of Wight, in real terms will receive absolutely no increase in policing at all, even though we will have to deal with new developments being forced onto us and as all the low lives from the mainland coming here to peddle drugs. The island is rife with crime now, you only have to glance at the Echo or the IWCP to see that. This “Police Commissioner” is a total waste of space, the Island Police should not ever have been joined with Hampshire. What with a drug related murder and a machete attack stopped because of drugs, need I say more.
I do not believe a word of it, cash strapped people saying they will gladly pay more, pull the other one. Save some money, quite a bit really, get rid of all these commissioners and the expenses they incur. We got by quite well before these jobs for the cronies were created
Can she explain to me, as one of the top priorities for her policing strategy, what ‘exploitation and vulnerability’ actually means, what money they will be spending on ‘tackling’ it and how many officers will be assigned to it?? Come on, give us a nice detailed explanation that us mere mortals, not gifted in progressive newspeak, can understand
I fail to see what use these Police Commissioners are. Just another layer of bureaucracy. I wonder how many more Policeman the Island will get for our money?
Exactly what we all said when they were first proposed. Another example of a government of a certain persuasion trying to con us into believing that they are acting in our interests.
Is there anywhere in the country that has found its shiny new Police and Crime Commissioner to be of any value? No doubt an investigative news organ will tell us.
Bunch of Mercenaries
Absolutely disgusting, you want to increase council tax again, you only increased it last year, I’m signed off sick and although I get help with my council tax, there is absolutely no way you can justify the police for a 4.4% pay rise, so yiur gonna stick another 10£ on people’s council tax for the police, IS THIS THE SAME POLICE that let people into downing Street, so they could have Christmas parties I’m yhe priministers house, FIRSTLY we’re in the biggest recession, the economy is down 14% that is actually TWO RECESSIONS, at once, we are in the biggest economical down turn in a century, people are losing they’re jobs everywhere,
People are losing they’re jobs everywhere, due to either the covid, or because they refuse to get jabbed with a vaccine that does more harm than good, and you want to tax them another 4.4% I DONT CARE WHAT IT IS FOR, there is absolutely no way yiu can justify it, especially when people are losing they’re jobs, homes families, THIS IS QBSOLUTEKY DISGUSTING AND ANOTHER DIABOLICAL SCEME COOKED UP BY OUR ABSOLUTE CRAP TORY GOVERNMENT!!!!! GET RID OF BORIS J9HNSON, THE MAN IS AN ABSOLUTE BUFFOON AND MUPPET FFS
How much of the £9 million will be allocated specifically for the Isle of Wight?
I for one do not support this. that’s another £10 from my living expenses I can’t afford to lose! 🙁
Big brothers watching! Freedom of movement is no longer. Dick Turpin wore a mask this lot wears badges and lanyards.
It’s this lot that is causing more theft crimes as people can’t afford to live. Unfortunately this is a fact not just a fantasy. There are plenty of low life originating from the island not just the mainland.
Significant support for an increase? My arse.
Everyone whines and gripes about our police service, crime etc etc – yet none of you want to take part in your own safety & Security but would rather abdicate ALL responsibility onto the police service. Prices have risen in a year, you don’t just open another time of policemen. Stop your infantile whining and maybe support our OPCC and Police force, who undoubtedly have a harder time of things as everyone blames them for all sorts. I for one whole heartedly supported an increase during the consultation. £10 is nothing ( I live on war pension) So stop whining and get off your fat backsides and show some support.
£10 is nothing you say.
try telling that to someone who works on minimum wage and whose rent and other bills eat up almost every penny, leaving barely anything for food and certainly no holidays or expensive luxuries.
how about you get off your backside and carry on working, instead of getting free, everything.
Absolutely! £10 is a lot to the majority of folk with the rising cost of everything going up and up as we speak. The Police are getting greedy for money just like the utility companies… this increase will not mean that we will actually see any police physical presence moving forward .. unless of course you count the van sat here and there ready to clobber motorists with speeding fines.
Time the police got off their backsides and made an appearance .. oh reminds me what happened to the PSOs on electric bikes patrolling? Haven’t seen one of those in two years.
Consultation! Does this woman know what the word means???!
i for one am in that group. i work full time but live on my own and yes most of my wages go on rent and bills. £10 is a lot of money when you don’t have any!!!
Was it a poll of all the Politically Correct Commissioners.Increase will be for wages and “thought” police.
I don’t recall any “extensive consultation” or in fact an meaningful consultation at all, we have no competent or proactive visible law enforcement on the island, speeding is the accepted norm as is ignoring one way signs, cyclists on the pavements and illegal electric scooters commonplace so why should we be forced to pay more.
This woman is a complete waste of oxygen and is useless as far as the Island is concerned.
What planet is that woman living it? It took them twelve hours to attend a murder scene ,despite being told about it,smacks of “ he was known as a trouble maker we won’t turn out for another bout of that”…..Police Farce over here are a joke!and I would rather the extra she is whittering on about in my Council tax went on helping the vulnerable in our community with real care :ie,better mental health facilities the Islands provision is lamentable
So not only is she a waste of space but she is a liar as well. Significant support for this disgraceful increase my backside! Well she has to get the funds for some more cake from somewhere I suppose…
How much is the cost of changing the name to Hampshire and Isle of Wight police? Millions I no doubt,should we really be spending this in the current economic climate?
I most certainly didn’t support it, in fact, totally the opposite.
I do not support any Council Tax Increases for the foreseeable future due to the current financial climate.
Rather than increasing Council Tax, why not raise extra revenue from fining people who park on pavements.
Tow Vehicles away.
Also place more parking meters along many Island Roads
E.g. busy Roads like Marlborough Road and Great Preston Road etc
Charge households for parking permits, some households have many vehicles
clogging up the Roads, many bring Company vehicles home and clog up Roads.
This would be a much fairer way than raising Council Tax for everyone.
What a ridiculous comment! Where are homeowners supposed to park if they’re not lucky enough to have a driveway which you obviously do! On pavements yes I agree but parking meters? Come on, our greedy council already get more than enough revenue from drivers already. We pay enough council tax already so why should we pay more via meters to park remotely close to our homes.And stop building new houses without parking provisions but then they wouldn’t be able to squeeze in as many houses so not make so much profit.
My idea would be not to increase council tax for people, but to make it fairer for all
place parking meters along the Roads and Streets.
So many people bring work vans home and clog up the Streets and Roads
making it impossible for everyone to park.
I know many households where 2 persons live yet they have 3 or 4 vehicles
The extra revenue raised by charging for parking would mean council tax does not have to go up.
wow! what planet are you on john
I think it’s to paint police cars in rainbow colours.
Every £1 they take from you is a £1 less you can spend on your families. I’d like to ask her how many police officers are on duty at any one time on the IOW and the percentage of crimes successfully solved and prosecuted.