Council tax payers across Cheshire could be asked to stump up more cash to help fund policing, writes Mark Smith.
Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer has launched a survey seeking views of residents on raising the police precept – the component of Council Tax which helps fund Cheshire Constabulary – by 83p a month.
Four online “question time” events with the commissioner will be held across the county, with a series of face-to-face roadshows also pencilled in.
Following a consultation last year, a budget for Cheshire Police has been produced which the commissioner said will see 120 extra officers recruited.
They would be joined by 63 more frontline staff in areas like the call centre, as well as schemes to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB), and road safety initiatives.
The commissioner said to fund the investment, he wanted to know if residents would be willing to pay 83p per month extra via the police precept, for the average band D household.
Mr Dwyer said he was “extremely conscious” of cost of living and that asking to raise the precept any further than what he was asking would trigger a referendum.
He said: “We are benefiting from increased funding from central government and the national Police Officer Uplift programme, however in my autumn survey I was up front with people.
“I said a small precept rise would be necessary in order to keep the police at a standstill, and over 85% of people who expressed a view said they were happy to pay more above this in order for the constabulary to have more resources.
“The most popular option by some way was an increase in the police precept of 20p per week above standstill – equivalent to £1.04 per month – however, I am ultimately asking residents for less than this.”
To take the commissioner’s survey online, go to www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/yourpolicebudget2022-23
To request a hard copy of the survey, email [email protected]
The survey will close at midday on Tuesday, January 25.
Four online ‘Commissioner and Chief Constable’s Question Time’ events will also be held for residents of each of Cheshire’s four boroughs, as follows:
Cheshire East: Monday, January 10, 7 – 8:30pm
Cheshire West & Chester: Tuesday, January 11, 7 – 8:30pm
Warrington: Wednesday, January 12, 7 – 8:30pm
Halton: Monday, January 17, 7 – 8:30pm
To register for your online event, send your name, question and postcode to [email protected] by 11:59pm the day before the event.
The cost of this Survey for printing , design etc plus delivery was £66,069. The annual cost of the PCC department in the 2020/2021 budget was £675,000 (a small underspend on the £700k budget),I have not been able to find the 2021/2022 budget. There are 4 staff earning over £70k. Links provided by the PCC. I found the survey to be poorly constructed.
So if the PCC was disbanded think how many PC’s and ancillary staff could be employed permanently. After prompting it took from the 9th November to 3rd December to receive a reply when the automatic response said the aim was 10 days.