Commissioner freezes council tax precept

Suffolk’s Police and Crime Panel met on January 25th to review the Police and Crime Commissioner’s draft Police and Crime Plan and his proposal to freeze the policing precept.

After a lengthy and robust debate, the Panel supported Tim Passmore’s proposal to freeze the portion of council tax used to fund policing and crime reduction work in Suffolk.

Tim said,  “Over these past months I have spent time listening to people across the county – stakeholders, businesses and the public – to gauge expectations of their police service.    What is clear to me is that people want me to ensure that every penny spent by the Constabulary, is money well spent.  They want me to ensure that we make better use of the resources available, to cut duplication and work with others to get the very best value for the council tax payer.

“Like other forces, Suffolk is facing the biggest financial cuts in a generation. The 20% cuts imposed by Government mean that there will be fewer resources in real terms to meet ever-increasing demands. The Government’s grant forms the bulk of our budget; consequently any grant reduction has a huge impact.

“The Constabulary has been prudent and delivered substantial savings over the past five years.  We are now facing the challenge of a further £10.6m to be saved by the end of 2016/17. My job is to ensure this is done without adversely impacting on the service you expect and deserve.

“Before I was elected I said I would do everything possible to ensure that there is no tax rise in 2013/14.  While I am mindful that my decision is likely to affect the organisation in the longer term, I am standing by my commitment to freeze the precept this year and am pleased that the Panel has supported this approach.”

For my Police and Crime Plan and priorities visit www.suffolk-pcc.gov.uk