Council tax rise to fund policing to be discussed

Proposals to increase the portion of council tax that goes towards policing by 4.9% will be reviewed, a police and crime commissioner (PCC) has said.

Cambridgeshire's police and crime panel will meet in Peterborough on Wednesday to discuss the potential precept increase, which would take effect in April.

Darryl Preston, the county's PCC, announced plans for the increase in January and began a residents' survey.

The increase would add 27p per week to council tax bills for householders living in a band D property, or £13.95 per year.

A report produced ahead of the meeting said Cambridgeshire Police was the fourth-lowest funded force in the country.

It said the force had identified £5.54m of cost savings for the next financial year, but that the proposed precept would generate an estimated £92.6m.

The report also highlighted a survey carried out with 865 residents, asking for their views on the policing precept.

It found 67% were generally supportive of the increase and 16% were generally unsupportive, with the rest choosing to stay neutral.

Preston said he was "reluctantly" proposing the increase when he launched the survey in January.

"Every community deserves a properly funded and well-equipped police force," he said.

"In Cambridgeshire, we have made huge strides to adapt and expand our capabilities to improve the way we prevent, solve and investigate crime and this effort needs to be sustained."

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