As your Police and Crime Commissioner, it is my job to set the budget for policing. I need to make sure the Chief Constable has the resources he needs to effectively police Cambridgeshire and Peterborough over the coming year.
I have therefore launched an online survey asking people for to tell me their views when it comes to police funding. The survey was launched yesterday (7 January).
Police funding is based on a woefully inadequate funding formula which results in our county remaining one of the lowest funded forces in the country. Since the funding formula was set, our population has grown by 11% and is forecast to grow much faster than the national average.
Roughly half of the funding for Cambridgeshire Constabulary comes from government with the remainder from the policing part of council tax (known as the precept). What this means is that taxpayers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough must contribute almost half of our total police budget.
I recently wrote to the Home Secretary (as I have done with previous Home Secretaries since first being elected in 2021) to express my concerns about this issue and will continue to lobby for fairer funding.
For the financial year, 2025-2026, Police and Crime Commissioners are expected to increase the precept element of council tax by £14 (based on a Band D property).
While I welcome the recent government settlement increase of 5.5%, it is important to note that some of this increase has to pay for already-committed cost increases such as employer national insurance contributions. The force has already worked hard to identify £5.5m of further cost savings for 2025-26 – without the proposed £14 increase in the policing part of council tax, further cost savings will need to be made.
Every community deserves a properly funded and well-equipped police force. In Cambridgeshire, we have made huge strides to adapt and expand our capabilities to improve the way we prevent, solve and investigate crime and this effort needs to be sustained. I am therefore reluctantly proposing an increase of 4.89% for taxpayers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough which equates to an increase of 27p per week for Band D properties and 18p per week for Band A properties.
Please do take a moment to tell me your views.
The survey is available online and will be open until midnight on Monday 20th January 2025.
If you need help to share your views or would prefer to give your views by telephone, please call 0300 333 3456 or email [email protected].
Many thanks
