7 January 2022 PRECEPT SURVEY: PCC proposes major investment in control room through policing precept Major improvements to the contact and control service are at the heart of the Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner’s proposals as he asks the public to support an increase in the policing element of the council tax of 19p a week (based on a Band D property) for the next financial year. Late last year Policing Minister, Kit Malthouse gave PCCs the ability to raise the policing element of the precept by up to £10 per annum for a Band D property for the next financial year, Suffolk’s PCC is proposing to use this maximum increase and is asking Suffolk taxpayers their thoughts. A survey to gauge the public response to the PCC’s proposal is now open. It closes at 9am on Thursday 27th January 2022. THIS SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED If the proposals are approved, this extra funding will improve 101 call answering and digital opportunities for multi-channel contact and provide additional capacity to effectively manage threat, harm and risk. It will also enable the Constabulary to invest in technology to be more efficient and effective, and raise service standards. Tim Passmore said, “As your Police and Crime Commissioner, setting the budget is one of my most important responsibilities. I must ensure that the Chief Constable has the resources he needs to provide an efficient and effective service, whilst ensuring that I use Suffolk taxpayers’ money resourcefully. “Our funding from Government this year is just not enough, even with the savings programme already agreed. I need to increase the precept to maintain the level of service we currently receive. The full £10 increase (for a band D property) will give us an extra £2.5m for policing in the county. Over £1million will be used to fund existing commitments, such as inflation and pay, which leaves £1.4m to invest in the control room. “In all my public engagement, including the recent consultation on my new Police and Crime Plan, the one thing that came through loud and clear was the public’s dissatisfaction with the 101 service. It is absolutely crucial I address these concerns. “I have worked closely with the Chief Constable to agree how the potential funding will be allocated. It is a difficult balance but one that I believe meets the needs of the council taxpayer. I hope people will take the opportunity to respond to the survey and let me know their thoughts.” The Contact and Control room is based at Martlesham Police Headquarters and is responsible for dealing with all 999 and 101 calls. It is much more than a ‘call centre’ and is responsible for the command, control and deployment of resources and managing operational matters and protecting vulnerable people at time of crisis through to high-risk major and critical policing events. The proposed investment of £1.4m will enable the Constabulary to recruit additional staff to deal with calls and contact from the public more quickly and manage resources responding to calls for service more effectively. Furthermore, additional Police Sergeants can be recruited to manage operations and the Constabulary will be able to create a digital desk to ensure it has the required capacity and capability to deal with public expectations regarding online and social media contact. Chief Constable, Steve Jupp said, “At a time when demands on policing are growing exponentially it is essential that the Contact and Control room (CCR) is properly resourced and equipped to deliver a high-quality service and ensure Suffolk continues to be a safe place in which to live, work, travel and invest. The importance of the CCR cannot be overstated as it performs a crucial service to the public and the Constabulary. “As part of their inspection of Suffolk Constabulary in 2021, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire and Rescue Service (HMICFRS) identified a number of areas for improvement in the CCR that to address will require an increase in staffing. These include improving the assessment of threat, harm and risk in calls received, the deployment of resources and better identification of vulnerability.” The PCC will present his proposal to increase the policing element of the council tax to the Police and Crime Panel on January 28th for their approval. The papers for this meeting will be published five days before on Suffolk County Council’s website, www.suffolk.gov.uk. Anyone not able to take part in the electronic survey can write to the PCC at The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Suffolk Police HQ, Portal Avenue, Martlesham Heath IP5 3QS. Please answer the question: Do you agree with my proposal to increase the policing element of the council tax for 2022/23 by 19p a week (based on a Band D property)? with a clear YES or NO and include any comment you wish to make. The written response needs to be in the office by 5pm on Wednesday 26th January 2022. Find out what this means to households across all of the council tax bands. More detail about the proposed investment.
