Have your say on council tax contributions to policing before 3rd January 2022
29 December 2021
Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, is urging residents to make sure they have their say on how much they are willing to pay to deliver more police and safer streets before the survey closes on 3rd January 2022.
The Commissioner is urging local residents to complete the online survey in the next few weeks and/or to sign up to a focus group to ensure they have their say at www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk.
Commissioner Jones said “Please take a few minutes to complete the budget-focussed survey or sign up to a focus group. Your support and views are greatly appreciated.”
The Government is giving Police and Crime Commissioners the flexibility to increase the policing precept of the council tax in 2022 by £10 per year. For Band D properties, this would be 83p per month (an increase of 4.4%) and for Band B properties, this would be £7.77 per year or 65p per month (an increase of 4.4%).
With over 60% of council taxpayers in the Hampshire Constabulary policing area living in properties that are Band A-C the majority of people would see an increase of less than £10 a year.
Commissioner Jones said: “As your Police and Crime Commissioner I am committed to ensuring that your police precept is spent wisely and delivers best value for money. I am committed to reducing wasteful spending across policing, to ensure we employ the maximum number of police officers possible.
“Your support of an increase in the policing precept for the year ahead, will be spent on increasing police numbers in order to detect more crime and improving our police service. In my Police and Crime Plan ‘More Police, Safer Streets’ I have committed to the recruitment of 600 additional police to compliment the Government’s national uplift programme.
“Through the increased visibility of neighbourhood police officers, I want communities to be safer and feel safer too. With more police officers and better budgeting you will see greater focus on tackling the crimes that matter to you like: anti-social behaviour; scams and fraud, as well as greater targeting of rural crime and tackling serious violence and knife crime.