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The county’s Police and Crime Panel, which holds the PCC to account and is made up of cross-party councillors from Wiltshire and Swindon, backed the budget at a meeting this morning.
This support will raise the policing precept in Wiltshire by 5.2% - an extra £1.09 a month or £13 a year for the average Band D property. This, alongside a grant from the government, accounts for the core budget for policing in the county.
The panels’ backing allows the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and Wiltshire Police to invest in the key areas identified by the residents of Wiltshire and Swindon and to support the delivery of a new operational model which will enable neighbourhood teams to provide visible, community-focused, policing.
Included in the budget is provision for the re-development of Wiltshire Police Headquarters based in Devizes and a new policing hub in the south of the county following the publication of the PCC’s estates strategy, which outlines for the vision of a more accessible and visible policing service for residents.
The budget also builds on achievements delivered in the past year including a fourfold improvement in positive outcomes for Rape and Serious Sexual Offences and Wiltshire Police becoming one of the top performing forces nationally in disrupting county lines per head in capita.
Mr Wilkinson told the panel this morning that whilst he understood the financial pressures people are facing, the rise was supported by the public, with 85% of respondents to his recent "Policing, Priorities and ££s" survey saying they wanted to see more investment in policing.
He said: “The decision to increase the precept has been a difficult but necessary one. I am listening to residents when they tell me that they want a better and improved service from both the police and wider criminal justice system with improved outcomes and more visibility.
“Whilst key improvements have been delivered over past 12 months, there is still much to do to make Wiltshire safer as crime and policing demand becomes ever more complex.
"Even by putting the precept up by £13 a year, we still need to make savings of £2.4m to cover the funding gap as we remain one of the worst funded force areas in the country.
“However, both the Chief Constable and I are committed to delivering a policing service which meets an ever-changing crime picture and is fit for the future. I am confident that with this increase we can continue to invest in key areas to maintain the improvements that we are now seeing across the board.”
Published Thursday 8 February 2024