PCC Considers Recommendation

The Gwent Police and Crime Panel today supported the Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) proposal to apply an increase of 3.99% to the police element of the Council Tax (Precept).
In addition, the Panel, who met with Gwent PCC Jeff Cuthbert in Usk this morning, asked if he could consider a lower increase of 3.55%.

The Panel will now submit a report to the Commissioner in support of their suggestion of an increase of 3.55% by no later than the 8th February 2017. Mr Cuthbert has agreed to consider their recommendation and will respond to the panel's view shortly after this date.

The funding of Gwent Police and the provision of policing services in Gwent forms part of PCC Jeff Cuthbert's statutory duties. To ensure that all the people who live in Gwent have an efficient and effective police service which provides value for money, Mr Cuthbert is required to determine the budget for 2017/18 and then set the Police Precept (the proportion of the cost of policing paid from your council tax).

A Precept rise by 3.99% from April this year would mean that the average Gwent household* would pay £228.84 for their policing and related services during 2017/18 - an increase of £8.78 a year or 17p a week on what they currently pay. This would enable the Chief Constable of Gwent Police to invest in an additional 40 police officers and 14 front-line members of police staff and in tackling emerging crimes such as cyber fraud.

A Precept increase of 3.55% would mean that the average Gwent household* would pay £227.87 for their policing and related services - an increase of £7.81 a year or 15p a week on what they currently pay.

The increase of 3.99% was based on the findings of a month long consultation launched by Mr Cuthbert which asked residents how much they would be willing to pay for their policing service. The majority of respondents said that they would be in favour of increasing the precept by this level or more. The impact of the UK Government's cuts on policing and the need to bolster officer numbers in Gwent following a significant reduction over the last six years were also behind Mr Cuthbert's proposed increase.