Increase in cost of policing approved

Cheshire’s Police and Crime Panel have approved an increase in the  budget for 2020/21 and the council tax precept increase.

An additional 90 officers, funded by the Government’s Uplift Programme, will be in post by March 2021 joining the 43 additional front-line police officers who were recruited last year.

The new neighbourhood officers will work alongside the PCSOs already dedicated to each policing community to develop strong links with local residents and tackle emerging issues before they become more serious.

The policing precept – the element of council tax that pays for policing – will rise by an average of £10 per year to help fund this year’s police budget – following an online consultation. 

A total of 2194 completed the online survey, 1,601 (63%) were in favour of an increase, 593 (37%) were against.

Funding from the budget will also be used to invest in Cheshire Constabulary’s force control centre and ‘pro-active’ operations to tackle county lines drug activity and other serious and organised crime.

Funding will also be provided to develop Cheshire’s stalking unit, to Cheshire’s Women’s Centres which support survivors of domestic abuse and for health and wellbeing support for police officers and staff.