Police Funding Survey - 2023/24

The Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Jonathan Evison, is asking residents to give their views on police funding in an online survey. Here is the Commissioner's statement which launched the survey on 22nd December. Please read the statement in full before taking the survey.

This is a statutory consultation which means that the Government imposes a duty on Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to consult the public about how much is added to Council Tax bills to contribute towards the costs of ensuring Humberside Police can operate effectively.

The way the police service is funded, and how available funds are spent, providing the day-to-day emergency, neighbourhood and investigative services we all rely upon, is extremely detailed. Add to this the capital investment in the future of policing through assets such as vehicles, computer systems and buildings to ensure the service can continue to improve, and the picture becomes even more complex. Around 70% of police funding comes from central Government and the rest is raised through a portion of your Council Tax known as the Policing Precept. The Government made its police funding announcement on 14^th December and you can read it here, the figures quoted in the announcement assume that PCC’s will take full advantage of raising the precept by the equivalent of £15 on a Band D property*. 

PCC Jonathan Evison said: “In recent years Humberside Police have made great progress in improving the service it provides to our communities, resulting in this November’s announcement from His Majesty’s independent Inspectorate that the force had been graded Outstanding in most areas of its operations. A significant part of this improvement has been down to sound financial planning and managing the budget available to us through central Government Funding and the Council Tax Precept. The number of police officers has risen to around 600 more than the low point in 2016. When we include the Government’s additional uplift there are now 2,135 officers in the force, the highest number for over a decade and communities have told me they are seeing ongoing improvements in the service. In December the largest-ever intake took place with 78 new officers being welcomed to the force. Added to the increased numbers of police officers is one of the best performing call centres in the country, new teams to tackle issues such as rural crime and police officers returning to neighbourhood bases in police stations which had previously been understaffed.

“Of course, things are never perfect and there is a strong desire to improve the service even further for the public we serve, we all want to see a more visible police presence, more action to prevent and reduce crime and protect the most vulnerable people in our society, from children to the elderly. However, the precent financial climate has seen increased pressure on every one of us and policing is not exempt from that, there are still challenging savings targets to be met, significant pay and utility inflationary pressures and we must plan our finances not just for the coming year, but five years ahead.

“I will be working with the Chief Constable to ensure Humberside Police delivers an effective service to our residents without any disruption to the service, and policing is not just about officers, our civilian staff are equally as important to the running of the service, whether as PCSOs, custody officers, control room call handlers and dispatchers, or a myriad of other roles dedicated to keeping you safe.

“For the next financial year in 2023/24, if we are to stay on track with our improvements, I will need to make a small annual increase to the policing precept of your Council Tax in line with Government recommendations. Even with this increase, there will still be a requirement to draw down further monies from our financial reserves to achieve the planned improvements.  My preferred option, based on a Council Tax Band D property* is an increase of £14.99 over the whole year, equivalent to 29p per week, but I would like to hear your views. 

Option 1: An increase of £9.99 per year (19p per week) on a Band D* property which would also require £20m extra funding from reserves.

Option 2: An increase of £14.99 per year (29p per week) on a Band D* property, which would also require £15m extra funding from reserves.

Option 3: An increase of £19.99 per year (38p per week) on a Band D* property, which would enable planned improvements to be further enhanced. This option would require a public referendum.

* The majority of properties within the Humberside Police area are in lower Council Tax bands than D, on which the Government bases its financial forecasts. 34% of households are in Band A, 21% in Band B and 16% in Band C so, for the vast majority, the proposed increases are smaller than £14.99.

“Any increase is unwelcome in these challenging times but for the equivalent of just a few pence per week we can maintain the number of police officers and continue the improvement in Humberside Police that will benefit everyone and keep us safe.

“As a resident and taxpayer myself, I want to know what I’m getting for my money, I think it’s only fair that I provide an illustration of what this increase would provide. I asked the Chief Constable to give me his plans to improve the service based on a £14.99 precept increase and he has committed to the following: 

• Humberside Police will continue its programme of placing 24-hour response teams in every town in the force area – including the return of 24-hour policing teams in Driffield and Brigg. 

• This growth will be in addition to preserving existing bases and protecting officer numbers in Hull, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Epworth, Beverley, Bridlington, Withernsea, Pocklington, Goole and Hedon (which are at their highest in 10 years) 

• Humberside Police would be able to afford to keep 148 dedicated PCSO’s embedded in every ward in East Riding, Hull, North and North East Lincolnshire 

• Humberside Police would be able to increase the number of dedicated community police officers working alongside PCSO colleagues 

The force also recognises that rural communities want us to increase our dedicated rural policing, and the continued support and development of dedicated Rural Task Force teams in the East Riding and in North and North East Lincolnshire, would be achievable with a £15 precept. 

• The dedicated Rural Task Force would be enhanced to 1 Sergeant and 8 Constables, based in the East Riding and Northern Lincolnshire 

Humberside Police are also asked by local communities to invest more resources in tackling dangerous driving, illegal and uninsured drivers and driving that is leading to death and serious injury across the whole region.

• Humberside Police will increase the number of police officers in its Roads Policing Unit to increase patrols, visibility and capability to proactively target offenders who continue to reduce safety on the roads for other users

 Humberside Police have a key role to play in ensuring that victims of domestic abuse are protected and offenders are brought to justice. The impact such behaviour has on victims and children is generational and nothing other than providing an outstanding response every time should be accepted.

• Ensure that our new dedicated Domestic Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Teams can be fully resourced in 2023 whilst not reducing officer numbers elsewhere
• Invest the additional officers as planned into our local CID teams, to further improve our ability to investigate more crimes and provide a service that increases public trust and confidence in their local force

“In this survey I am asking if you would support an increase in council tax precept in line with the below amounts, and which of the three options you prefer, or whether you prefer no increase at all. You will also be asked which areas of policing are the most important to you. Thank you for taking the time to give me your views.”

Jonathan Evison - Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside