Police want 7.47% extra from us in their council tax precept

Dyfed-Powys Police have slammed an eye-popping 7.47% extra onto the amount that they expect residents to pay them through Council Tax in the next financial year.

The amount was confirmed this evening by Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn, meaning that the average band D property will have to cough up an extra £26.95 per annum, which is approximately £2.25 per month.

That will be added to the 4.9% extra that Powys County Council has slapped on their portion of the Council Tax bill, with town and community councils set to confirm their slices in the coming weeks.

The police increase will raise a total precept of £93.033m towards a budget requirement of £161.905m.

In setting the precept, Commissioner Llywelyn (pictured) said he considered a range of factors including inflation and cost pressures, service demand, levels of reserves, future investment requirements, efficiency and positivity plans as well as feedback from residents across the Dyfed-Powys area.

He said: “I recognise the pressure that any increase in the police precept places on households. However, this decision is about protecting frontline policing and investing in the services that matter most to our communities.

“Residents have been clear that they want to see more officers locally, faster response times and a greater focus on prevention. This investment delivers exactly that, with additional neighbourhood and response officers, improved ways for communities to stay connected with their local teams and early intervention programmes that support young people and help prevent crime before it starts.

“Together, these measures reflect my commitment to protecting communities and delivering a modern accessible policing service that puts prevention and neighbourhood safety at its heart.

“While the financial and operational environment remains challenging, this level of funding provides the stability needed to focus on delivery and on the priorities set out in my Police and Crime Plan.

“I would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their views through the consultation, as well as members of the Police and Crime Panel for their continued scrutiny and support.”

Where the funding will support: 

• Additional neighbourhood policing officers, increasing visible patrols and strengthening local knowledge and community relationships.
• Additional response officers, helping to improve response times and ensure incidents are dealt with swiftly and effectively.
• Enhanced intervention, prevention and engagement activity for young people focused on early support, diversion from crime and anti-social behaviour and positive opportunities through partnership working with schools, families and youth services. 
• Investment in innovation to improve services to victims and streamline processes to enable officers to dedicate more time to front line duties 

The force said the additional funding will allow for more visible neighbourhood policing, improved response to incidents and a stronger focus on prevention. It will also support early intervention work with young people helping to prevent harm and address issues before they escalate.