AN EXTRA 55 police officers and five more PCSOs look set to take to the beat under the 2022-23 budget agreed for Warwickshire Police.
The increased budget by Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe will enable the force to reach its target of 1,100 officers, the highest establishment in its history.
It will be paid for by an increase to the Police Precept of 3.85 per cent on the council taxes of Warwickshire residents, which represents an 81p per month increase or £9.75 per year on an average Band D property, backed by funding from central government.
The budget will also allow for investment in enhanced services to contact the force, including through face-to-face facilities such as police station front counters.
A strengthened response to violence against women and girls will be provided with investments in the force’s vulnerability teams to build extra capacity and capability.
Warwickshire Police will also employ review officers to drive improvements in investigative standards, increasing the likelihood of positive outcomes for victims.
The Special Constabulary will also be supported with better equipment and enhanced training, to further support the work of Safer Neighbourhood Teams and increase visibility of policing in local communities.
The budget will also fund continued development of new ICT systems to ensure the workforce is working in the most effective and efficient way possible.
There will also be increased resources for road safety and domestic and sexual abuse victims through increased Commissioner’s grants, plus there will by a £200,000 ‘Green Fund’ to improve the force’s environmental sustainability.
Mr Seccombe said: “Taken together, all of these additional investments will allow Warwickshire Police to improve the service it gives the public and address directly the concerns people have raised with me.”
