Commissioner asks residents’ view on council tax precept

Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, is asking residents for their views on the contribution local taxpayers make towards policing in the county.

The PCC has set out his priorities in the Police and Crime Plan for Hertfordshire, which will guide his decisions as he prepares to set the council tax policing precept.

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 meet Hertfordshire continuing to have the fifth lowest precept in England and Wales.

Hertfordshire Constabulary currently has a record number of police officers working to keep the county safe and maintaining these numbers is a key priority. Historically, Hertfordshire residents have paid one of the lowest contributions towards policing through their council tax, with the current precept being £32 a year below the England and Wales average. This gap would not change if all PCCs increased their precept by the 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.

Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Hertfordshire Police & Crime Commissioner, said: ’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 1 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.’

The online survey will close at midnight on Sunday 25 January. It can be accessed at forms.office.com/e/CCK3gyVMRG