Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen’s plans to boost policing and deliver the improvements local people have asked for have been fully approved.
The County Durham and Darlington PCC, who has promised to keep residents and businesses at the heart of her safety plans, presented her budget for policing in 2025-26 to the area’s Police and Crime Panel on Monday (3 Feb).
The proposals, which were unanimously agreed, included her recommendation to increase the amount of council tax paid by residents towards policing by £14 a year – an increase of 27p a week for an average (Band D) property.
Prior to setting the budget, the PCC carried out extensive consultation with local people online and face-to-face to better understand the improvements needed to help people feel safe and be safe.
These priorities are now the basis of her new Police Crime and Justice Plan 2024-29, with the Commissioner insisting her decision-making will continue to be determined by the views and needs of those she serves.
The commissioner has told panel members that an increase in precept was essential if she was to deliver against the priorities of her new plan and disrupt the issues that blight people’s lives and increase their fear of crime.
Commissioner Joy Allen said: “The government has provided a welcome uplift to funding but due to national pressures such as inflation, nationally set pay increases and national insurance increases, the costs have gone up beyond that, leaving a gap that has to be filled.
“The recent announcement that there will be additional money for neighbourhood policing is more than welcome and illustrates that the government has listened to the concerns raised by myself and other PCCs at national level.
“It means more officers and PCSOs in our neighbourhoods for County Durham and Darlington, and the challenge now is to get them recruited as soon as possible, and I have every confidence that the Chief Constable will do so.
“In line with public opinion, we will prioritise crime prevention, tackling alcohol and drug-related crime and the anti-social behaviour that causes concern to so many.
“That said, I will not stop lobbying until a fair funding detail for Durham Constabulary is agreed. The funding inequity between forces is astonishing. Every force should be funded according to demand, not postcode.
“For example, a 1% increase in police precept raises £490k for Durham – in North Yorkshire 1% brings in £970k and in Surrey a staggering £1.7m.
“In addition, Durham Constabulary is one of the eleven forces with fewer police officers than in 2010. It would take around £8m just to get us back to 2010 officer numbers. This is the real impact of years of funding cuts from previous governments.
“So, while I welcome any additional funding, I will still be calling for a full review of the funding system to make it fairer for forces such as ours.”