Police precept — voice your opinion in survey

An online survey has been launched to gauge public opinion on the increase in council tax contribution which will go on South Yorkshire Police.

The government funds about three-quarters of the cost of forces, with the rest raised through the precept.

Home secretary Suella Braverman will announce in December the level of funding to be provided by the government.

The regional precept will be proposed by South Yorkshire police commissioner Dr Alan Billings and go before the area’s police and crime panel in early 2023.

Dr Billings said: “I am fully aware of the financial pressures facing residents this year. The cost of living has risen significantly and everyone is feeling the pinch.

“I joined other PCCs recently in writing to the government to ask them to fully fund police forces and not pass the burden of paying for policing to hard pressed council tax payers.

“However, I believe the government will expect PCCs to raise more funds through the council tax in order to maintain the current level of policing and crime services.

“To allow me to explore the options available I am asking residents to indicate the areas they would like to maintain at current levels and areas where they believe savings could be made and whether they would be willing to pay a little more to avoid cuts.”

The survey asks residents what they think police should be prioritising — and if they would accept a “small increase” of £10 a year for band D properties.

“This is not the time to be cutting policing services,” said Dr Billings. “We know from the past that the cuts to policing during the years of austerity eventually led to rises in crime.

“As people struggle financially, this is just the moment when we need the protection of the police and I fear we will be putting communities at risk if we go into the next financial year with police forces being under-resourced and stretched.”

The band D tax levy was £170 in 2018/19 but this had risen to £223 for the current financial year.

Visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XW533GK to complete  the survey.