Households in Suffolk will pay more towards policing from April
It comes after officials approved a fifteen-pound increase to the police share of council tax.
The policing element of council tax in Suffolk will increase by £15 for a Band D property after the county’s Police and Crime Panel approved the rise.
The increase, equivalent to 5.1%, was backed by the panel in a vote of eight to one, with one abstention.
Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore described the move as a “difficult decision”, but said it was necessary to maintain policing improvements across the county.
He said: “The problem we had was that the Government’s funding wasn’t sufficient to enable us to carry on with the improvements we’ve got to make for policing across the county.”
Mr Passmore also criticised how national funding figures were presented, adding it was “disingenuous” to suggest forces had been given additional money when the total relied on commissioners raising local council tax.
He said the force is already working to deliver £2.8 million in savings, while the overall policing budget is set to reach £202 million.
Under the Government’s neighbourhood policing guarantee, Suffolk must recruit 16 additional officers, but Mr Passmore said less than half the required funding had been provided.
“That’s another half a million pounds we have to raise,” he said.
What the money will go towards
According to the commissioner, the additional funding will support investment in technology aimed at improving officer productivity and increasing police visibility.
He said this should “release more time, particularly for urban patrols… greater visibility in market towns”, while also ensuring rural communities receive an appropriate level of policing.
Mr Passmore added that technology, such as improved data processing systems and potentially limited uses of artificial intelligence, could help officers spend more time on frontline duties.
“Provides a big opportunity, technology, greater productivity, so more time can be spent on the front foot and out on the beat to improve visibility,” he said.
However, he stressed caution around emerging technologies, warning that forces must avoid using unreliable data.
The Government has previously said police reforms are intended to improve efficiency and strengthen public safety, though proposals remain under consultation.