Pledge As Policing Cost To Rise

There is a pledge more officers will be on Harborough’s streets after an increase in the amount we pay for Policing was approved.

The amount we pay to Leicestershire’s Police & Crime Commissioner in Council Tax is to rise by £24 a year for those living in the average band D property across the District – an increase of 12%.

Willy Bach

It’ll enable the force to recruit 107 new frontline staff, including 60 patrol officers, 24 detectives and 8 new beat officers, to be split between the county’s eight neighbourhood policing areas.

That will be the biggest recruitment in recent years, with officer numbers reduced by 500 in the past nine years, due to government cuts.

Willy Bach is the Police and Crime Commissioner:

The increase in the Police Precept will appear on Council Tax bills and will be charged from April.

The budget for policing Leicestershire in 2019/2020 has  been set at £187.1M, an increase of £10.88M (6.2%) over the previous year.

Of this, £72.5m will be raised via the local policing precept on the council tax.

Mr Bach added: “It is hugely disappointing that the Government expects local people to pay more towards policing but frankly, it would be irresponsible not to raise the police precept by the expected amount.

“Local people are now paying the price for years of austerity and sadly even this will not solve all the financial challenges.  Of every additional £24 raised, £14 will be used to pay for rising costs and overheads, leaving just £10 to invest in new resources.  To protect our plans in the future I have agreed to use money from our reserves over the next four years.”

The amount of council tax paid towards policing by a Band D household will, if the Panel approves the Government’s anticipated increase in precept, rise from £199.23 a year to £223.23.

The amount people will pay in other bands can be seen in the table below.:

Northamptonshire residents are facing a similar increase – a final decision there will be taken later this week.