Chief Constable: “Council tax increase will help us deliver the service the public deserves” by | Gloucester News Centre - http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk/
Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Chief Constable Rod Hansen says the maximum increase in the police share of the council tax – £2 a month for band D taxpayers – is the most realistic way the Constabulary can deliver the County’s Police and Crime Plan and the service the public deserves.
In a direct appeal to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Martin Surl, Chief Constable Rod Hansen said today (Tuesday 29 January) that the Constabulary’s proposed increase of 74 officers and staff will help ensure the Force remains visible on the streets, ready to respond to emergencies, combat serious and organised crime and protect the most vulnerable in our society.
Next week PCC Martin Surl will make his recommendations to the County’s Police and Crime Panel over the level of police precept taken as part of local council tax.
It follows a public consultation exercise promoted on the Constabulary and PCC social media pages that has sought the views of Gloucestershire residents.
Amongst the measures proposed for extra funding are:
- An increase in response officers so that the public can be reassured that when there’s an emergency police will attend – this will help us improve our response capacity in rural areas, where the sheer space means police coverage can be thin. This is in line with the Accessibility and Accountability priority of the Police and Crime Plan.
- An additional team of officers to crack down on serious drugs and violence related crime – in line with the Safer Days and Nights priority of the Police and Crime Plan.
- More roads officers – in line with the Safe and Social Driving priority of the Police and Crime Plan.
- An increase in officers on our town and city streets at the weekends to ensure people can enjoy themselves in a safe environment – in line with the Accessibility and Accountability priority and Safer Days and Nights priority of the Police and Crime Plan.
- An increase in staff to help improve the Constabulary’s service to vulnerable adults – in line with the Older but not Overlooked priority of the Police and Crime Plan.
Chief Constable Hansen said: “Similar to other forces, the Constabulary has been under severe financial pressure in recent years and there has been a significant reduction in officers and staff.
“Thanks to public support, good financial management and the tremendous efforts of our workforce, the Constabulary has been rated by the HMICFRS as good when it comes to how efficient we are at keeping people safe and reducing crime. However the scope of what policing is expected to deliver has increased hugely in recent years to combat the ever evolving nature of the crimes we are dealing with so it’s crucial that, having stabilised, we now grow accordingly to be able to fulfil our mission of keeping people safe from harm.
“Only then will we be able to deliver the service the public deserves and the service we are committed to as part of the Police and Crime Plan.
“The increases we are proposing are necessary to develop and optimise our response to emergencies, how we tackle organised crime and how we protect the public. They won’t all directly result in officers being more visible but we are very aware, from our consultation work, that accessibility is important to the public and I can reassure people that the measures will also help free up front line officers on to the streets.
“Increasing the precept by £2 a month, I would argue, is therefore crucial to delivering a service that can address our competing demands and those of the public.”
Information on the county’s Police and Crime Plan, which was produced by the Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl and based on views expressed by members of the public can be found here: www.gloucestershire-pcc.gov.uk/your-pcc/what-is-the-police-and-crime-plan
