What do you think is the right contribution local taxpayers should make towards policing the county?

Dear Resident

What do you think is the right contribution local taxpayers should make towards policing the county?

I want to know your views ahead of setting the council tax policing precept.  

There is a lot of change ahead for policing across the country. What do you think about the proposed changes and how they might affect you? 

Hertfordshire Constabulary currently has record number of police officers working to keep the county safe and maintaining these numbers is a key priority.  

The Government has indicated that it expects all Police & Crime Commissioners to increase the police precept by £15 at Band D, an increase of around 5.6%. This would mean Hertfordshire continuing to have the fifth lowest precept in England and Wales.  

Historically, Hertfordshire residents have paid one of the lowest contributions towards policing through their council tax, with the current precept being £32 below the average a year. This gap would not change if all PCCs increased their precept by amount expected by Government. 

However, Hertfordshire Constabulary faces increasing financial pressures including rising costs, inflation and higher employer National Insurance contribution, which are making budget decisions more challenging.  

My priority is to ensure that Hertfordshire Constabulary has the resources it needs to protect our communities by preventing crime and catching criminals. Residents consistently tell me that they want to see police officers on their streets, strong neighbourhood teams and responsive local policing. 

I’m proud that Hertfordshire currently has a record number of police officers, and my number one priority is protecting that position so the police can continue to tackle crime effectively and keep Hertfordshire safe. 

Despite the financial constraints, there is good progress being made in Hertfordshire. Our Police and Crime Plan has already shown what strong leadership can achieve in a short time. Since the 1st of January the Constabulary has solved 1245 more crimes than in the same period the previous year, the average time to answer 999 calls has been consistently improving  and there has been a 14.5% reduction in crime as the result of tens of thousands of hours of visible patrols deployed in crime hotspots and town centres across the county in year 1 of the initiative

Increasing the police precept will support continued progress in fighting crime and keeping Hertfordshire safe.  

But, more importantly, what do you think? 

Click here and let me know. https://forms.office.com/e/CCK3gyVMRG 

Kind regards,

Jonathan