50 Hampshire police officers could be recruited - but council tax will rise more than usual

The county’s Police and Crime Panel Meeting next week will decide whether to support PCC Donna Jones in her bid to employ more officers in the county and the Isle of Wight.

But the proposal would increase the amount of money people pay through their council tax for policing – also known as a police precept.

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Previously the biggest allowed increase has been an extra £10 a year for a Band D property. This year the government is allowing forces to increase the amount levied by £15 a year on a Band D home. A Band D home is seen as average, although police papers point out that 61 per cent of homes in Hampshire are in bands A to C and so would see a smaller increase.

The current year’s rate is £236.46 for a Band D home, so next year’s police share of the overall tax bill for Band D residents would be £251.46.

The extra cash is hoped to fund the delivery of new police officers and to help tackle the pressures of rising costs. If the plan goes through it will mean the force has an extra £12.3m from council tax, giving a total from that of £179.7. It is likely to get an extra £4.3m from the government, giving a total from this source of £246.9.

The proposal has been developed to support the PCC’s police and crime plan which sets out nine key priorities including having 600 police officers in Hampshire by the end of 2023.

It was noted in 2021, when the plan was published, that 600 additional officers would represent a 25 per cent increase in total officer numbers.

If 50 additional police officers were employed the constabulary would exceed the target of 600 additional officers.

In a statement, the chief constable Olivia Pinkney outlined her support for a precept increase, saying: ‘In terms of priorities, officer numbers and visibility are two categories that the public say are most important to them.

‘This chimes with the mandate of More Officers and Safer Streets upon which Commissioner Donna Jones was elected.

‘Against this context, and given the challenges faced by policing, I have no hesitation in making the operational case for a maximum £15 increase in precept for Band D.

‘This is the only credible way to deliver more police officers than those already committed.

‘Despite national government efforts, police funding is not keeping up. Factoring in the national funding provision, and even with a £15 increase of council tax as per this recommendation, inflationary pressures will account for nearly all of the total increase in police funding for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary.’

The Police and Crime Meeting will decide the proposal on Friday, January 27.

The county council – or in Portsmouth and Southampton’s case the unitary council authority – levies the lion’s share of council tax. Other charges come from the police, the fire service and parish councils. In non-unitary authorities – anywhere covered by the county council – the borough or district council levies a charge as well.