Have Your Say on Police Budget

Gwent PCC Ian Johnston is required to ensure that all the people who live in Gwent have an efficient and effective police service and he has a legal requirement to set the police budget. With this in mind, Mr Johnston launches his 'Have Your Say' consultation survey today.

As a result of cuts to policing, between the period 2008/09 to 2020/21, Gwent Police will potentially face a deficit of £64 million. To date, the policing service in Gwent has delivered over £37 million of efficiency savings to address this gap.

The consultation is being hosted to help inform the Commissioner's considerations when setting next year's budget (2016/17) and the level of his Precept (the proportion of the cost of policing paid from your council tax). The consultation launched today provides a range of options and asks residents what level of precept setting they believe to be fair and also explains the financial outcomes of those choices.

For example, the average band D household in Gwent currently pays £211.62 per year or £4.07 per week towards policing. A 0% increase to the precept next year would mean that Gwent Police would suffer a funding shortfall of over £1.8 million. However, an increase of 3.99% in the precept (£8.44 per year per band D household) would mean that Gwent Police faces no funding shortfall.

Urging as many people in Gwent to have their say by completing the survey, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Ian Johnston, said: "There is no doubt that the reduced budget and the need to continue to make efficiency savings will mean that the Chief Constable and I will have to continue to change the way the policing service is delivered in Gwent. I am keen to hear what you think so that my decisions take your views into account when setting the policing precept for next year."

The survey will run from today (January 12th) and the closing date for all responses is 5pm on Tuesday 19th January 2016. The results of this survey will inform the police precept setting for 2016 / 2017.

Follow the link to complete the online version of the survey http://bit.ly/precept1617

Other formats of the survey are also available on request from the Police and Crime Commissioner's office by emailing Commissioner@gwent.pnn.police.uk. Please email electronic copies to this address and send all hard copy responses by post to:

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner
Police Headquarters
Croesyceiliog
Cwmbran
Torfaen
NP44 2XJ