DN 03/2021 Police Precept 2021/22
DN 03/2021 Date 08/02/2021
Police precept 2021/22
The Commissioner decided, after consultation with the public and after taking into account the impact of the financial settlement, the challenge in meeting the costs of delivering a significant increase in Police Officers within North Yorkshire, and in line with the Government’s policy’ and the financial needs of the Force, to propose to the Police, Fire and Crime Panel a police precept for 2021/22 of £271.06 for a Band D property within North Yorkshire. This would be an increase of 1.99% or £5.29 per annum, from the 2020/21 level. The Panel agreed with the proposal and therefore the Commissioner has set the precept at this level.
Background
Legislation requires that the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner agrees their budget and associated precept and basic council tax for the forthcoming year before 1st March each year. However before doing so the Commissioner must notify the relevant Police, Fire and Crime Panel, by the 31st January, of the precept which they propose to issue for the following financial year.
The Police Settlement for 2021/22 has provided the Commissioner with an increase in Government Funding of £5.2m, including a ring-fenced grant of £973k for Police Officer increases.
This money needs to deliver 58 additional police officers during 2021/22, with the Force reaching at least 1,567 FTE Police Officers by March 2022, all of the additional support costs required to enable this to happen and all of the costs to enable these officers to undertake their role.
The Force will continue to invest and develop many areas during 2021/22, many of which will be in line with the Policing Minister’s priorities around digital, data and technology.
Beyond the development and investment in IT there will also be continued work to transform the services within the Force to improve business planning, work will continue to deliver closer working and collaboration between Police and Fire as part of the Enable collaboration and work will continue around the Public Safety Service pilot. All of this will be done whilst also developing and delivering additional efficiencies.
The Force will continue to work towards a Target Operating Model to deliver a policing approach based on prevention and early intervention principles, including the development of an Initial Enquiry Team which will be focussed around building a workforce which is skilled and equipped to resolve incidents and crimes remotely and where possible at first point of contact.
It is also expected that significant investment in Offender management pathways, victim services to support young people in domestic abuse households, and mental health street triage services will be commissioned and put in place early in 2021.
Precept flexibility of up to £15 was provided for all Commissioners (or equivalents) in 2021-22, which meant that the Band D level of the Police Precept could be increased by up to, and including, £15 before a referendum is required.
Each £1 increase in North Yorkshire provides just over £300k of additional precept income on a recurring basis – so just over £4.5m for a £15 increase. A £15 increase would also equate to a 5.6% increase in the policing element of Council Tax in North Yorkshire.
The previous financial plans had projected that a 1.99% increase in precept would be required for 2021/22 and consultation was undertaken with the public to determine their views.
Consultation
The results of consultation with the public of North Yorkshire in relation to the level of precept for 2021/22, which had 3,071 responses, has resulted in 64% supporting an increase of at least 1.99%.
The summary of the responses is provided below:
| Total
(n=3071) |
Telephone (n=975) | Online
(n=2096) |
|
| No more than I pay now – a precept freeze | 36% | 37% | 35% |
| Up to £5.29, an increase of 1.99% | 26% | 27% | 25% |
| Up to £7.97, an increase of 3% | 21% | 20% | 21% |
| Up to £15, and increase of 5.6% | 17% | 16% | 18% |
| TOTAL who support an increase of at least 1.99% | 64% | 63% | 65% |
The Commissioner also considered the financial impact that the Coronavirus pandemic has had on the local economy and therefore on the affordability for residents of the different options, balanced with the needs of the service.
A proposal was made to the Police, Fire and Crime Panel and, at a public meeting on 5 February 2021, the Panel agreed with the Commissioner’s proposal for a police precept for 2021/22 of £271.06 for a Band D property within North Yorkshire. This would be an increase of 1.99%, or £5.29, from the 2020/21 level.
Decision Record
The Commissioner decided, after taking into account the financial needs of the Force to be able to deliver against the North Yorkshire share of the national increase in Police Officers, to be able to meet the unavoidable increases in costs that result from nationally agreed pay awards, to meet the costs of general inflation and cost pressures, and continue the needed investment in Policing and Crime services, to propose to the Police and Crime Panel a police precept for 2021/22 of £271.06 for a Band D property within North Yorkshire. This would be an increase of 1.99%, or £5.29, from the 2020/21 level. The Panel have agreed to this proposal and therefore the Commissioner has set the precept accordingly.
Julia Mulligan
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire
Statutory Officer Advice
Legal, Management and Equality Implications
The Commissioner’s Assistant Chief Executive and Deputy Monitoring Officer, on behalf of the Commissioner’s Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer, having read this report and having considered such information as has been provided at the time of being asked to express this view, is satisfied that this report does not ask the Commissioner to make a decision which would (or would be likely to) give rise to a contravention of the law.
Financial and Commercial
The Commissioner’s Chief Finance Officer and S151 Officer has advised that the financial implications of this Decision are set out in the Executive Summary and/or the attached report. The decision will ensure that the Commissioner meets her legislative requirements in relation with the Police element of the precept and will also ensure that there is sufficient funding available in 2021/22 to fund the organisation to deliver against the Police and Crime Plan priorities.
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