Crime chief plans maximum tax hike to fund 200 more Hampshire police officers

HUNDREDS of extra police officers have been promised by Hampshire Constabulary after the public supported a proposed increase in the force’s share of the council tax.

More than 6,500 residents were consulted over the precept for 2019/20, with 76% of them saying they would back the idea of it rising by up to or over £24 per year. This equates to an extra £2 per month per Band D household.

The force said it can now push ahead with plans to recruit 200 officers and more police staff investigators.

Police and crime commissioner Michael Lane (pictured) is proposing the maximum spike allowed in the precept in line with a new power handed down by the government to atone for the funding settlement not being balanced and major funding cuts in recent years.

This came after Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced that UK police forces would get £161m for frontline budgets and another £153m grant to cover a shortfall in the funding of pension contributions many PCCs had not budgeted for.

If the proposed precept rise goes ahead, Hampshire residents in Band D equivalent households would have to pay £201.46 towards the cost of policing for the year – up from £177.46 in 2018/19.

The support from just over three-quarters of the respondents was shown through online surveys and face to face consultations.

Further backing has been received from Hampshire Police Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney, along with the Hampshire Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, UNISON and Neighbourhood Watch.

Mr Lane was due to present his recommendation for the increase to the Hampshire Police and Crime Panel at Southampton today (Friday).

“The consultation has shown that the community value the police, and that they recognise that the service is stretched and in need of additional resources,” he said.

“Delivering modern operationally effective policing to keep us safe and defeat the greatest threats, while responding to community priorities is not an easy task in times of financial constraint, growing complexity and necessary change programmes to try to keep us ahead of criminals and those who wish us harm.

“I am clear, and the chief constable is clear in her recommendations to me, that to protect current police services we must take full advantage of the settlement. All the increase in the policing precept will be used to support local policing, and will enable the recruitment of just over 200 officers.”

Ms Pinkney emphasised the force’s support for the increase and expressed its delight and gratitude for all the backing shown by the public.

The chief promised that the 2019/20 precept would improve the force’s investigations capability and see more victims of the most serious crimes get justice. This would be in line with the importance it places on focusing on detecting and preventing high-harm offences.

“Many criminals deliberately operate away from the public eye,” she said. “They cause misery themselves and create the conditions for young and vulnerable people to get involved in drugs, violence and lower level crime.

“This has a very visible impact on our communities. These plans set us on the right track to tackle this.

“Without the additional local funding that our police and crime commissioner is recommending, police numbers would be reduced to an unsustainable level.”

Hampshire Police Federation chair Alex Charge said: “Whilst we would want central government to provide 100% of funding for policing, this is not the case.

“Hampshire Police Federation welcome the tax precept increase, and the agreement that all this money will be spent on policing. It’s not a solution to the funding crisis but it is a lifeline that Hampshire needs.”

In a letter to the PCC in December last year, Neighbourhood Watch Association president Margaret Filley said his proposal to raise the precept to its maximum was “very welcome”.

However, although supporting the precept rise to protect local policing, residents responding to the consultation have expressed concern over continued lack of appropriate government funding.

As a result, Mr Lane is set to put across this strong feeling to the minister as he continues to lobby for a fairer funding formula.

He explained: “I have heard from our communities that it is not sustainable or equitable that the council taxpayers within Hampshire should continue in future to make good some of the shortfall in national funding, and I will carefully consider this in future years.

“At this time there is no clear indication on government funding for future years and I will be pressing for certainty over next year’s settlement, alongside continuing to lobby for a fairer national funding formula as a more sustainable funding solution.”