Dorset's Police & Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick, asks for councillor support with his survey.
Dear colleagues,
As some of you may be aware, I have very recently launched my precept survey.
The survey asks Dorset residents how much more they would be prepared to pay towards policing; however, this is not something I do lightly. I recognise how difficult things are for households which is why I am beyond frustrated at this unfair situation, and the pressure it may put on residents. Since I became PCC in 2021, I have been relentlessly lobbying government and MPs for a change to the national funding formula, a change which is necessary to provide Dorset Police with the funding it needs and deserves.
Currently, the funding formula makes no account of the seasonality or the rurality of this area and that is beyond unfair, not just for the Force but the people of this county. Dorset receives the second lowest proportion of central government funding in England and Wales and Dorset residents contribute 52% of the Force’s funding through their council tax, whereas the average for other Forces in England and Wales is around 35% and in some cases as low as 20%. It is also important to mention that the amount the Force receives from government does not cover continuing inflation, the underfunded mandatory pay awards or the increasing cost of policing which includes extensive and complex investigations, facilitating public protests and demonstrations and the continuing costs of officer recruitment and retention. Yet again, our Force is asked to do more and more with less.
The survey provides three options, including the potential maximum amount PCCs may be able to ask for - £14 per year. There are two other hypothetical amounts set in the survey, both likely to be above the precept limit – the options of £20 per year and £26 per year, which is the amount needed to balance the budget and allow for some investment to be made in policing. Choosing one of these hypothetical amounts would enable me to continue to advocate on Dorset’s behalf and push the government for a better, fairer deal.
The actual maximum permitted increase is expected to be confirmed by the government in December, alongside the Force’s central funding allocation.
I want to be clear: Dorset is a safe place and Dorset Police will continue to keep people safe. Our county is the eighth safest in the country, with crime continuing to fall and positive outcomes for victims on the rise. Anti-social behaviour has fallen again this year, tackling rural crime continues through national, regional and local collaborations, and Dorset remains the fourth lowest place for knife crime in England and Wales. As well as these results, 92% of 999 calls are answered within 10 seconds and outcomes for burglary victims have also improved significantly, placing Dorset in the top quarter of forces nationally. These achievements are something to be proud of especially given the significant financial challenges the Force continues to face.
I would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete my survey and tell me how much you would be willing to pay towards policing next year by clicking here and I invite you to share the survey with your constituents. To that end, my office has created some area specific social media graphics for you to use, if you so wish. The graphics have been created with area relevant landmarks on them and have been attached to this email.
Kind regards
Dave
David Sidwick | Police & Crime Commissioner
Respond to the survey on Survey Monkey USING THIS LINK
Social media graphics to download and use:
