DORSET'S PRECEPT SURVEY LAUNCHED - 2024/25
Typically, just over half of Dorset Police’s total budget comes from central Government with the majority of the remainder raised through council tax contributions, known as the policing precept.
Last year, there was strong support for the precept proposal, and I know that’s because the people of Dorset understand how important their contribution is. As we all know it’s been a tough financial year and I find it incredibly difficult to come to you and say that policing still needs your support, it needs your contribution.
It comes as no surprise that inflation, which has been running in the region of 10% for a large part of the year and is still around 5%, means that ‘the same’ costs more than it did last year. Put simply, there is a need for more to maintain a ‘stand still’ point.
Over the last year, I have taken our funding concerns to government. I want a better, fairer deal for Dorset and I have lobbied for ‘seasonality and sparsity’ – how busy the police are, especially over the summer and the size and rurality of the county to be taken into consideration when funding is considered by the government. I hope to see some consideration and some form of ‘levelling-up’ associated with this new consideration, but the results of the lobbying effort will take time to materialise.
Many other forces receive significantly more funding than Dorset, and to give you a comparison from other areas across the country, the West Midlands force is approximately 80% funded by government. Dorset then has to deal with the significant ‘seasonality’ of policing demand that affects our county - with almost 13 million people taking a day trip or 1.8 million people coming to stay for a holiday.
This year, the government have set a £13 limit on the policing part of the council tax precept. With inflation being high, that £13 is equivalent to an increase in line with inflation and will not enable the level of service improvement that the public, the Chief Constable, and I want to see. Put simply, and this view is being echoed up and down the country by police leaders, this settlement is short of what forces require to progress and improve the service and ultimately difficult financial decisions will need to be taken.
My survey, which invites you to have your say on the policing part of the precept also puts to you the proposal of paying an increased amount. Although the government have set limits, I would like to know if there is support for more funding for policing and the survey suggests amounts that would broadly be in line with inflation and the police pay award this year, an £20 increase. There is also a suggestion of £30 which may sound like a lot of money, but in fact it is the amount that the Force really ‘needs’ to invest in the future, deliver efficiencies and provide service improvements into the future.
I will leave that consideration for you to make and as you do so, I would ask that you also consider the part you have played in policing over the last year and how you have helped me make a difference – just by taking part in the surveys I send out.
The people who completed my annual survey over the summer and last year’s precept survey have helped guide investments and so enabled the recruitment of 174 more police officers for Dorset.
Support was also voiced for the continuation of vital policing operations such as Operation Scorpion and Operation Viper to tackle illegal drugs and county lines, and for taking action against knife crime and so I have funded knife wands for every police car across the county and the force now have a portable knife arch to utilise as part of ongoing intelligence led ‘hot spot’ policing.
Dorset remains one of the safest places. It is 2nd highest in the country for Rape and Serious Sexual Offences prosecutions and has had the 2nd lowest number of knife-crimes in the country this year.
My office has also brought in almost £1 million of additional grant funding from central government to tackle issues under the violence against women and girls agenda to bring in new initiatives to help tackle the priorities that were set by you back in 2021, when I became Commissioner.
Dorset has seen 3 police station front-desks re-open under a pilot project and 72 Police Community Contact Points have ‘popped-up’ across the county – where you can go along and meet your local officers, discuss any issues, and concerns you may have and get the help and advice you need.
Over the last year there has been a 13% reduction in ASB via various police operations including Op. Relentless, Op. Nightjar and Op. Fireglow and there have been a range of rural crime initiatives, including the introduction of the Rural Mounted Volunteers where volunteers on horseback work with the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team, providing intelligence and information to support and protect local rural communities. I am also delighted to say that Dorset’s Rural Crime team, as well as delivering by reducing rural crime across the county, won a national award this year for tackling acquisitive crime.
Throughout all this work, and throughout my tenure as Commissioner, my priority remains to provide the Chief Constable with the resources she needs to continue the good work that is already happening across the county and I have sought reassurance from the Chief that the delivery of the Police and Crime Plan will be maintained, despite the upcoming financial challenges.
As the Police and Crime Commissioner, I place great emphasis on my responsibility to ensure that your views help shape the future of policing in our county. This survey is vitally important, and the results will have an impact on every local resident and business in Dorset. I will use the information shared through this process to set the policing element of council tax precept for 2024/25 and assist with deciding how best to spend our budgets.
The survey should take about the same time to complete as it would to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and has the potential to make Dorset a safer place for us all. So, thank you for taking the time to add your views and please share the survey with friends, family, and work colleagues so that we can get the greatest possible involvement from residents.
David Sidwick
Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset
Please click on this link to give me your opinion