Council taxpayers may pay more to fund Warwickshire Police next year after government announcement

More funding from council taxpayers could be used to help fund Warwickshire Police next year after new rules on increasing police budgets were announced by the government this week.
Warwickshire Police could get more funding next year - but local taxpayers will have to contribute to most of itWarwickshire Police could get more funding next year - but local taxpayers will have to contribute to most of it
Warwickshire Police could get more funding next year - but local taxpayers will have to contribute to most of it

Its Provisional Grant Settlement, announced by Home Secretary Amber Rudd on Tuesday December 19, will give greater flexibility to Police and Crime Commissioners across the country to vary the police precept – the amount raised for the police through Council Tax.

PCCs will now be able to raise the precept by up to £12 on a Band D household. The cap used to be a two per cent increase.

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Along with a cash grant from the government, this could mean an extra £2.9 million will be put into Warwickshire Police in 2018/19.

This means most of the increase would mainly come from local taxpayers’ pockets.

Warwickshire’s PCC Philip Seccombe was ‘delighted’ with the news.

He added: “I have been lobbying ministers hard for fair funding for policing which acknowledges the challenges that forces face.

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“Additional funding will be very welcome as I continue my ambitious programme of modernisation to ensure that Warwickshire Police has the right technology, training and people to protect communities and deal effectively with changing nature of crime.

“I believe the funding announcement from the government is fair and I am keen to do all I can to protect our frontline policing services here in Warwickshire.

“I am now consulting the police and our partners across local government to assess their views and needs as I begin the process of setting Warwickshire Police’s budget for 2018/19.”

Mr Seccombe will also start a public consultation on whether people would be prepared to contribute more to police funding before making a decision in the new year.

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Ms Rudd’s announcement also promised more money for police to combat terrorism.

She said: “Taxpayers will invest more money in forces because the work our officers do to protect us is absolutely vital, and we recognise demand is changing.”