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  4. STATEMENT ON PRECEPT FUNDING

STATEMENT ON PRECEPT FUNDING

Statement on Precept funding by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset David Sidwick

The county’s police and crime panel have unanimously approved plans to increase the amount of money Dorset residents pay for their policing service.

This means when you get your council tax bill for April, you’ll be paying an extra £10 a year, or 83p a month, if you live in a band D property*. 

The agreement from the Panel to increase precept this year comes after an on-line survey was held  with the public; of the 1,662 respondents, 77% agreed that Dorset Police requires additional funding and 67% supported the proposal to raise the precept.

The Precept survey ran for 5 weeks, from Friday 17 December 2021 to Monday 24 January 2022. The survey was available online throughout this period, promoted via local media, Dorset Alert, the OPCC website, social media and via two Facebook Live online engagement events. Sadly, due to COVID-19 restrictions, no face-to-face engagements were possible. 

I want to thank each of the 1.662 people who responded to share their thoughts. To all those who completed the survey, and whatever opinion you hold, I want to say this.

I would dearly love not to have to come to you to ask for any extra money to pay for policing, but the simple truth is that if I am to deliver on the priorities you told me were important to you, then I need every one of those 83 pennies and I can reassure you that the precept funding will be spent under the prism of the ‘Make Every Penny Count’ priority of my Police and Crime Plan.

I have spent a long time talking with the Chief Constable about precept investment and we are both agreed that the focus will be aligned to the priorities of my Police and Crime Plan – a plan which mirrors what the people of Dorset told me they wanted me to do when I became Police and Crime Commissioner.

The agreed increase will be spent on strengthening neighbourhood policing, improving customer service – 101 and emergency response, investing in a new County Lines taskforce, increasing capability into protecting and safeguarding children, putting more resources into VAWG, expanding the Rural Crime Team and investing in digital evidence, improving crime investigation capability and victim care.

I give you my assurance that this year’s precept funding will be spent wisely and well and to the advantage of the residents and communities of Dorset, in the pursuit of making our County the safest in England and Wales.

 

David Sidwick

Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset

 

 

  • *Council Tax Band information

 

  • Precept Infographic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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