What Wiltshire Police priorities matter most to you, and how should the policing budget be spent next year?

That’s the question you’re being asked by Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson as he develops next year’s budget for policing and commissioned services.

The Policing, Priorities and £s survey, launched earlier this month, also asks residents whether their household would be prepared to invest more in policing through the police precept part of their council tax.

Mr Wilkinson said: “It is my responsibility to ensure that Wiltshire Police has the necessary resources to fight and prevent crime, improve visibility and improve the service you receive – answering 101 and 999 when you call, responding when you need help, protecting vulnerable people and Making Wiltshire Safer.

“We are seeing improvements being made by Wiltshire Police in the service that residents rightly expect - and deserve – but feedback from you and your communities tell me that this isn’t happening quickly enough and alongside strategic advice from the Force, this feedback forms the backdrop to my budget planning this year.

“As PCC, it is vital that I look at the totality of policing and the police budget – and ensure the Force has an efficient, effective, police service but also that we are not cutting services at a time when we need to invest more to improve service delivery.”

Wiltshire Police’s budget is set by the PCC, based upon the operational policing advice from the Chief Constable, and informed by consultation with residents and stakeholders.

The budget is made up of centralised government funding and locally from the police precept part of your council tax. Wiltshire Police is one of the lowest-funded Forces nationally, per head of population, and the PCC continues to push for fairer funding and a review of the national police funding formula.

The survey runs until Monday 29 January 2024 and can be accessed here surveymonkey.com/PolicingPrioritiesAndPounds

Published Thursday 21 December 2023