THE WEST Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has signed off on plans to increase the force’s precept by £10 a year.
The rise – which was put forward by the region’s Labour Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Simon Foster, is the maximum approved by government for homes in Band D in 2022/23.
The police precept will now stand at £187.55 for those living in Band D properties.
The PCC asked the cross party West Midlands Police and Crime Panel to approve an increase in the police precept of £10 per year in the drive to keep the people of the West Midlands safe and secure.
This followed a public consultation in which more than 60 per cent of the consultation responses were supportive of the Commissioner’s budget and precept proposals.
The PCC says the amount West Midlands Police raises per household from council tax will continue to be the second lowest in England.
Mr Foster has pledged to rebuild community policing, by putting 450 extra neighbourhood police officers onto the streets of the region and he says this budget and precept will support these plans.
“I was elected on a clear mandate to rebuild community policing. Passing this budget will mean that we are able to continue this work and put more neighbourhood police officers into our communities,” he said.
“People told me that they wanted preventative, proactive, problem solving and visible police officers out on the streets, keeping people, their families and communities, safe and secure. This budget will help to deliver that.
“I would much rather that the government had fully funded this increase, rather than effectively mandating it and imposing the burden onto local council taxpayers.”
