The amount people pay to South Wales Police will go up by more than 7% in the next financial year.
Emma Wools, the region's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), has announced a 7.37% (£26) increase to the precept following consideration by the police and crime panel to “to continue to deliver on the priorities, the public of South Wales need and expect from their police force”.
This means a £2.17 increase per month for a Band D property, a £1.92 increase per month for Band C, a £1.69 increase per month for Band B and a £1.45 increase per month for Band A.
In total, Band A properties will pay £252.45, Band B will pay £294.52, Band C will pay £336.60, Band D £378.67, Band E £462.82, Band F £546.97, Band G £631.12, Band H £757.34, and Band I £883.56.
The Vale of Glamorgan will generate a precept of £24.22 million while neighbouring Cardiff will generate £58.2m and Bridgend will generate £21.07m.
The police and crime panel report said compared to the other Welsh forces, the £26 (7.37%) increase is the second-lowest.
The force is set to have a budget of £410m with £195.9m coming from the precept and the rest (£214.1m) from the Home Office and Welsh Government core grant.
Initially, a £24 precept rise was proposed, which would have resulted in a £2m budget deficit with few levers to pull to help achieve a balanced budget, the police and crime panel report said.
It added the chief constable decided removing 13 whole-time equivalent (WTE) officers (non-neighbourhood or youth engagement) from the police officer establishment would help achieve a balanced budget.
This still leaves a budget gap of £1m and the commissioner’s only realistic choice, without compromising operational policing, is to raise the precept by £26, noting that each £1 increase in precept raises £500,000, the report added
PCC Emma Wools said: “Since my election, I’ve made it a priority to engage widely with the people of South Wales to really understand their concerns and how we as a police force deliver the safe, just and inclusive South Wales they voted for back in May."
“In order to deliver that vision, effectively serve the people of South Wales and ensure our communities are safe and secure, I’ve taken the difficult decision to announce an increase that equates to a £1.45 to £2.17 per month to the precept for the majority of households, ensuring our police service has the necessary resources to keep our communities safe.”
“As your Welsh Labour PCC, I’m acutely aware of the financial pressures that households right across South Wales are facing. I’ve visited and engaged with communities the length and breadth of the force area, listened to their concerns and this has resulted in me being able to announce one of the lowest precept increases in Wales."
“Despite the continued backdrop of a difficult economic situation, with inflation, police pay, and other costs all rising, this increase to the precept ensures we can protect neighbourhood policing, tackle violent crime, prioritise crime prevention, continue vitally important support for victims and invest in technology to tackle new and emerging crime types."
“The people of South Wales know that over a decade of underfunding has left our public services in dire need of investment, that’s why I’ve recommended an increase to the precept, to invest in our police force, prioritise the public’s key concerns and deliver the level of service the taxpayers of South Wales want and expect."
“Turning the page on austerity and dealing with its consequences, won’t happen overnight, but we all know and accept, that in order to deliver the safe and just South Wales, we need to invest now, to improve outcomes for the future.”
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