THE amount the police charge the public through the council tax is almost certain to increase in the new year.
It follows news that West Mercia Police, which handles policing in Redditch, will face a funding cut of £600,000 for the year 2016/17 after the Government confirmed the amount of central funding individual police forces will receive.
In neighbouring Warwickshire, which has a strategic alliance with West Mercia and which manages policing in Studley and Alcester, funding will fall by £300,000.
The announcement comes after Chancellor George Osborne had pledged to protect police funding in ‘real terms’ throughout the current parliament.
However a spokesman from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for West Mercia said it subsequently became clear that the Government’s calculations included an assumption that PCCs would increase the police’s share of council tax rates by two per cent each year to cover the shortfall.
Both forces are currently carrying out a public consultation exercise on any council tax increase.
To express your view email: [email protected] or write to the Office of the PCC, PO Box 487, Shrewsbury, SY2 6WB for West Mercia or email: [email protected] or write to Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, 3 Northgate Street, Warwick CV34 4SP for Warwickshire.
