Nottinghamshire Sets Budget for Improvement
Posted on 18th February 2010
Nottinghamshire Police Authority has today (Wednesday 17th February 2010) agreed the budget for policing Nottinghamshire in 2010-11 in a move designed to protect frontline policing and provide the resources to tackle anti-social behaviour.
The budget has been set at £200.8 million, an increase of 3.85% over last year's budget. This means that the policing precept, the part of the total council tax that goes towards policing, has been increased by 4.77%, which equates to an increase of £7.29 per annum for a Band D (the average) household - or 14 pence a week to make a total of £160.11 a year. The weekly amount paid by a Band D household in 2010-11 will be £3.08.
However, in Nottinghamshire there is a far greater number of Band A properties and the increase of households living in a Band A property is £4.86 a year, less than 10 pence a week.
Members considered the budget carefully, taking into account the nationally negotiated pay deal which brings an increase to police pay of 2.6% in 2010-11, the increases in energy costs, and the current economic climate. There was a clear desire to keep any increases in policing precept to an affordable level, which needed to be balanced with the need to provide the Chief Constable with the resources to improve performance in key areas.
The budget will enable a further 16 PCSOs to be recruited to help tackle anti-social behaviour. It also allows for a further 27 police staff.
There is also a clear determination to maintain highly visible frontline officer posts. Although total Police Officer strength will decrease by a total of13, 12 of these posts have been civilianised, meaning that a specialist member of police staff will carry out the role. Priority is being given to keeping police officers in frontline operational positions, in line with the public's wishes.
John Clarke, Chair of the Police Authority, said: "We are doing everything we can to provide the Force with the resources to improve performance. The public have told us what is important to them, such as tackling anti-social behaviour, and this budget allows investment in such key areas.
"We have tried to keep increases at an affordable level, but we are very aware of the funding situation facing us in future years, which will be progressively more challenging, and Nottinghamshire remains underfunded. There is a gap of £32.39 between the funding per resident for policing in Northumbria and Nottinghamshire, which is a significant amount when it comes to officer strength and performance issues."