Precept and funding Dorset Police

As some of you may be aware, this week I have launched my precept survey, asking Dorset residents to share their views on the policing element of the council tax. Each year, I am responsible for setting the police budget, and your feedback is vital in helping me make an informed decision about the police precept for the next financial year.

Asking Dorset residents how much more they would be prepared to pay towards policing, is not something I do lightly; I recognise how difficult things are for households which is why I am beyond frustrated at this unfair situation, and the pressure it may put on residents. Since I became PCC in 2021, I have been relentlessly lobbying Governments and MPs for a change to the national funding formula, a change which is necessary to provide Dorset Police with the funding it needs and deserves. 

Currently, the funding formula makes no account of the seasonality or the rurality of this area and that is beyond unfair, not just for the Force but the people of this county. Dorset receives the second lowest proportion of central government funding in England and Wales and Dorset residents contribute 52% of the Force’s funding through their council tax, whereas the average for other Forces in England and Wales is around 35% and in some cases as low as 20%. It is also important to mention that the amount the Force receives from Government does not cover continuing inflation, the underfunded mandatory pay awards or the increasing cost of policing which includes extensive and complex investigations, facilitating public protests and demonstrations and the continuing costs of officer recruitment and retention. Yet again, our Force, is asked to do more and more, with less.

Despite my intensive lobbying over the past four years, the Government has chosen to continue with this unjust national funding formula, making it abundantly clear they want forces to be funded this way - through PCCs raising the precept. While I will continue to fight for change, I must be realistic and responsible to ensure Dorset Police have the necessary resources to continue keeping people safe and fighting crime and this leaves me with very little choice but to ask people in Dorset for how much extra they would be willing to pay towards policing.

I want to be clear; Dorset is a safe place and Dorset Police will continue to keep people safe. Our county is the eighth safest in the country, with crime continuing to fall and positive outcomes for victims on the rise. Anti-social behaviour has fallen again this year, and Dorset remains the fourth lowest place for knife crime in England and Wales. As well as these results, 92% of 999 calls are answered within 10 seconds and outcomes for burglary victims have also improved significantly, placing Dorset in the top quarter of forces nationally. These achievements are something we can be proud of especially given the significant financial challenges the Force continues to face. 

Your Options

The survey provides three options, including the potential maximum amount PCCs may be able to ask for - £14 per year. There are two other hypothetical amounts set in the survey, both likely to be above the precept limit – the options of £20 per year and £26 per year, which is the amount needed to balance the budget and allow for some investment to be made in policing. Choosing one of these hypothetical amounts would enable me to continue to advocate on your behalf and push the government for a better, fairer deal for Dorset. Choosing one of the higher options would not only help protect frontline policing but also strengthen my hand when arguing for fairer funding for Dorset at the national level.

The actual maximum permitted increase is expected to be confirmed by Government in December, alongside the Force’s central funding allocation. 

I want Dorset to remain one of the safest places in the country. To do that, I need to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to complete my survey and tell me how much you would be willing to pay towards policing next year: Dorset Policing Precept 2026/27 Survey

Lastly, I want to thank you for your support, and for helping to ensure Dorset Police can continue to keep people safe, prevent crime, support victims, and protect our communities.

David Sidwick

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner