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2016/2017 Police precept consultation – Have your say on local police funding
Details
How is North Yorkshire Police funded?
‘police precept’ – the amount you pay for policing in your council tax
About 55 per cent of its money comes from Government funding while the remaining 45 per cent is raised locally, mainly through the ‘police precept’ – the amount you pay for policing in your council tax.
We therefore very much welcome the Government’s recent decision to save policing from future budget cuts.
However, over the past five years, our central funding has been cut from £87 million in 2010/2011 to £69 million in 2015/16. If you take into account the effect of inflation, the cut is bigger still, amounting to £26 million in real terms – or 30 per cent of central funding. Looking ahead, we also have increases in national insurance, pay and pensions, which mean we will still need to save £1.9m for the year. This would rise to £3.1m if the precept was frozen. By 2020, we would need to save up to £15.7m.
What are the options for local funding?
The options are to:
- freeze the amount we pay
- increase the amount we pay by 1.99 per cent, or 8p, on average per week
- increase the amount we pay by more than two per cent.
What would happen if we froze the precept?
In its sums for police funding, the Government assumed that we will raise the precept by at least 1.99 per cent. Not doing so will mean a cut to North Yorkshire Police’s budget.
This would come at a time when some types of crime are putting increasing pressure on the police. These include services to protect the most vulnerable people in our society, particularly our children, people at risk of domestic abuse and hate crime.
In addition, the Chief Constable and I have made a pledge to preserve frontline neighbourhood policing, which we know is so valued by the public.
A freeze would mean you pay:
| Property Band | 2015/16 | 2016/17 |
| A | £ 141.85 | £ 141.85 |
| B | £ 165.49 | £ 165.49 |
| C | £ 189.13 | £ 189.13 |
| D | £ 212.77 | £ 212.77 |
| E | £ 260.05 | £ 260.05 |
| F | £ 307.33 | £ 307.33 |
| G | £ 354.62 | £ 354.62 |
| H | £ 425.54 | £ 425.54 |
What would happen if we increase the amount we pay by 1.99 per cent?
This would raise just over £1.2 million for next year and – importantly – subsequent years. However, it would mean the average household paying 8p a week more.
An increase of 1.99% would mean you pay:
| Property Band | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | Increase per year | Increase per week |
| A | £ 141.85 | £ 144.67 | £ 2.82 | 5 pence |
| B | £ 165.49 | £ 168.78 | £ 3.29 | 6 pence |
| C | £ 189.13 | £ 192.89 | £ 3.76 | 7 pence |
| D | £ 212.77 | £ 217.00 | £ 4.23 | 8 pence |
| E | £ 260.05 | £ 265.23 | £ 5.18 | 10 pence |
| F | £ 307.33 | £ 313.45 | £ 6.12 | 12 pence |
| G | £ 354.62 | £ 361.67 | £ 7.06 | 14 pence |
| H | £ 425.54 | £ 434.01 | £ 8.47 | 16 pence |
Can we increase our contribution by more than two per cent?
Yes. But the Government will only allow that if we carry out a local referendum which could cost at least £700,000.
Have your say
Your views are important so please let me know what you think.