Last chance for public to have their say on council tax rise in PCC consultation
There is just one day left for people to have their say on West Mercia Police's budget for the coming year.
Improvements to both emergency and non-emergency lines, more officers and more offenders brought to justice are among the pledges being made by the Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion.
The consultation, which has been running since early December, is asking the public for their views on increasing the police proportion of council tax by up to 4.91 per cent.
The previously planned increase would see a Band D property pay £5.26p per year more for policing.
If the PCC were to go through with the full increase, a Band D property would pay £13 per year more.
PCC John Campion said: “The views of the public are incredibly important to me as I make my decision for this year’s budget. I have been planning for an increase, due to the rise in inflation and the cost of policing, however with inflation rising far higher than expected it has meant I am having to review my proposals in order to ensure the level of service isn’t affected.
“Despite these financial challenges, ensuring communities receive a level of service they expect from West Mercia Police is non-negotiable. I am therefore committing to ensuring resources are directed towards the areas that matter most to the public, so they feel the benefits of the investment I have made to date.”
A message sent via the force's Neighbourhood Matters system on Saturday was reminding residents they now had just 24 hours left to take part.
It said: "One of the biggest decisions PCC John Campion makes every year is setting the policing budget and the wider work to support victims and prevent crime.
"As part of that, the PCC makes choices about the amount of Council Tax you pay to ensure we have the resources and tools we need."
"You should expect to see improvements to the non-emergency (101) and emergency lines (999), the number of police officers will reach the highest establishment figure on record (2,506), Safer Neighbourhood Team numbers will be protected with fewer abstractions, and more offenders will be brought to justice through better quality of investigations."
People can take part in the consultation online before Sunday, January 7 at: westmercia-pcc.gov.uk/budget2024
