Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has received full approval of his plans to protect the high quality of policing across the Leicestershire Force area.
The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PCC presented his proposed budget to members of the county's Police and Crime Panel this week including his recommendation for a £14 increase in the amount of council tax paid towards policing for a Band D property - 27p extra per week.
In highlighting the challenging financial pressures impacting all forces nationally, Mr Matthews told panel members that his focus had remained on delivering the type of policing that help residents feel safe and for which he had been told were most important to them.
After receiving full endorsement for the budget from panel members, Mr Matthews said his plans would ensure the Chief Constable has the necessary resources to remain responsive to the community's needs and deliver a high standard of service and safety.
PCC Rupert Matthews said: "The current financial landscape is really tough for all public sector organisations and Leicestershire Police is no exception. Despite making savings of £23.3m over the last three years, we are still wrestling with a budget deficit.
"That's because funding has not kept pace with real term cost increases over which we have no control such as nationally set pay rises and the ongoing impact of inflation, or the impact of new legislation which costs the Force dear to implement.
"I'm also very disappointed that despite the Government's contention that it would fund its increase in National Insurance in full, that is not the case. There is a £300k gap that will need to be paid for by money that should be spent to make Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland safer for its residents.
"I have relentlessly called upon the previous and current Governments to address the inequity in police funding. I will not stop until the funding we receive is adequate to meet demand for service."
Through the detailed budget reports, the Panel was told about the difficult budget setting process. This includes the methodology and outcomes from a survey conducted by the Commissioner regarding the amount of council tax (the police precept) the public pays towards policing. Overall, 76% of respondents were supportive of paying at least £14 to maintain service levels of policing in Leicestershire.
The Commissioner told members that the Chief Constable Rob Nixon has assured him that the budget of £254.65m for the financial year 2025-26 will protect the frontline services which are so valuable to the public. It will also strengthen performance in key areas such as crime prevention; call handling and other ways in which the public contact the Force; and digital technology.
For the financial year, 2025-2026, Police and Crime Commissioners are expected to increase the precept element of council tax by £14 (4.89%) based on an average property (Band D).
This figure varies depending on the property band, but in 2025-26 an average property will pay just over £300 a year towards policing.
Rupert Matthews continued: "The Government's funding package puts policing on a cliff edge. The increase in the precept, the savings made to date, the emphasis on value for money and the use of reserves will enable levels of service to be maintained.
"Quite simply, cutting crime costs. Keeping people safe costs. Helping people in an emergency costs. That's why we need more money, now, in order to do more of those vital elements of policing. We are not using our reserves this year to bolster our budget but to pay for new initiatives that will make us more efficient. This is not a long-term solution. It is plugging a gap that continues to grow.
"The Government's own funding figures include the maximum increase in the precept, and with the unfair funding settlement they have provided it is impossible not to place a further burden on local households.
"I am very grateful to the public for its continued support and would like to acknowledge the work of the Force, in particular Chief Constable Rob Nixon, and my own team for their hard work in bringing this very challenging budget together without major cuts to service."
Read the reports here: https://bit.ly/40B1m8U.
