POLICE and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer, has approved a budget that will take Cheshire’s police officer numbers to their highest in modern times.
It will also put more frontline staff in places like the Force Control Centre to take 101 and 999 calls.
This follows a survey Mr Dwyer carried out in which 70 per cent of respondents said they were willing to pay more council tax to enable the police to have more resources.
As a result, the policing precept – the part of council tax that goes towards Cheshire Constabulary – is proposed to rise by approximately 83p per month (for the average Band D property) in order to support measures outlined in the budget.
Mr Dwyer said: “The scale of the response I’ve received from the public has been fantastic and it shows just how much people care about how their police service works for them.
“I want to thank every resident who responded to the survey, came to speak to me at a consultation event or attended the online event with me and Chief Constable Mark Roberts. We’re committed to delivering on your priorities for your community.”
The budget will see investment including
* Recruiting 120 extra officers – taking Cheshire’s officer numbers to the highest ever on its current boundaries, increasing police presence and visibility across the county.
*63 more front line staff – Including more for the Force Control Centre, force intelligence, serious and organised crime, major investigations and local policing teams. These staff together will bring down call response times and strengthen the Constabulary’s ability to investigate and take down serious organised criminals.
*Funding for more road safety initiatives – Increasing the use of average speed cameras across the county to prevent deaths and serious injuries.
*Action against anti-social behaviour and repeat offending – Tackling low-level crime that can make communities feel unsafe and preventing young people from going on to commit more serious crimes.
Mr Dwyer added: “I’m confident that this budget will enable us to continue to prioritise the needs of communities across Cheshire.
“Since taking office I have heard from residents across the county about police presence and issues with 101 response times, as well as problems with speeding, dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour, all of which blight our communities.
“Policing is turning a corner and increased funding from government means we can recruit more officers. This, alongside this budget which has been backed by the public, means we can make real strides forward in tackling the issues residents have highlighted and making Cheshire even safer.”
Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: “This new budget will help us work towards some of our key priorities, including improving our call times in the Force Control Centre and continuing to make Cheshire’s communities even safer. It will also enable us to keep more children safe from online paedophiles who target them.”
“I’d like to thank everyone who engaged with the consultation and gave their views on how we can continue to provide the best possible policing service to the communities we serve.”
On Friday February 4, the Commissioner will present his budget and proposed precept increase to the county’s Police and Crime Panel. The Panel will then decide whether to approve the budget and precept increase or ask the Commissioner to provide an alternate option.