Essex Police promise to cut crime as council tax increase approved
A rise of £14.94 will fund strengthened neighbourhood policing and crime reduction
Essex Police has pledged to reduce crime and enhance neighbourhood policing after the county’s Police, Fire & Crime Panel agreed to increase the council tax precept for policing by £14.94 a year for Band D households.
Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said the additional funding will allow the force to continue protecting victims and bringing more criminals to justice. Essex Police solved 2,700 more crimes in 2025 compared to the previous year and increased the number of charges brought by 12%.
At a meeting held on 3rd February, panel members voted in favour of raising council tax contributions by 29p a week for Band D properties to support these initiatives.
Harrington expressed gratitude for the county’s taxpayers, acknowledging the challenges in balancing the books amid rising costs.
“During my time in Essex, it has never been lost on me that our force has had to rely disproportionately on the good people of Essex, through council tax, for our funding,” Harrington said.
“Despite being the ninth-largest force in the country, we receive just 2.25 per cent of national funding while representing 2.5 per cent of national policing… While we have received £21.1 million more from central government, our unavoidable recurring costs — such as paying our highly skilled officers and staff, utility bills and kennelling costs — continue to rise and currently stand at £22.9 million.”
Essex Police plans to allocate 39 officers into neighbourhood policing to support local communities further, a move Harrington says aligns with the force’s priorities but adds financial pressure.
He noted the force had made savings over the past decade but acknowledged the difficult decisions required to maintain progress in addressing crime and anti-social behaviour.
“More than 100 dedicated, professional and loyal police staff are currently under consultation," Harrington said. "They are the backbone of policing in Essex, but we have had to make tough choices to maintain our progress in cutting crime and antisocial behaviour while balancing the books.”
Harrington vowed to the people of Essex to continue strengthening and investing in neighbourhood policing, working to prevent crime, protecting victims, and delivering justice.