Precept rise will pay for service improvements

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold has asked for an increase of around 50p a week towards the policing part of the council tax – £24 a year for a band D household – to fund improvements in policing in Northamptonshire.

This is the second year in a row that the police budget has increased and means that the operational policing budget in 2019/20 is £130 million – up £11.6 million since 2018/19 and almost £20m since 2017.

PFCC Stephen Mold said that £3 million of this will be specifically ring-fenced to be spent on improving police visibility and service in areas that you have told him are a priority.

Improvement plans will be announced by Stephen and Chief Constable Nick Adderley in April, and will include:

• A significant investment in neighbourhood policing, including more dedicated police officers and staff
• An improved response for victims of burglary and a renewed focus on the prevention and detection of crimes
• Additional resources to tackle crime and bolster the rural crime teams to support policing in rural areas
• Greater focus on tackling street level drug dealing and anti-social behaviour

This will build on additional funding given in the previous two years, including for the investigation of domestic abuse and sexual offences and the funding of an additional 50 frontline police officers and staff.

Stephen said that the decision to ask for the full increase suggested by the Government was difficult, even though 58% of people who responded to the budget consultation said they would pay more for policing.

“It is my duty to make sure that the Chief Constable has the resources to keep Northamptonshire safe and provide our residents with the service they rightly expect.

“I will make sure that this increase leads to a better service for local people and I will be working with the Chief Constable to demonstrate how improvements are being made.”

Barn events launch new rural crime plan

A new strategy for tackling rural crime has been launched at barn events organised by Northamptonshire Police, the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and partners in the Rural Crime Group.

More than 160 people who live and work in rural communities came to two barn events held in January to discuss rural issues and learn about the three-year strategy sets out how crime in rural areas will be addressed.

Hosted by local farmers, topics at the events included the work of the Rural Crime Team, why all incidents should be reported to the police and advice on preventing fly-tipping. A new rural crime prevention booklet was launched to provide a useful resource for rural residents and business owners.

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold said: “Rural crime is an absolute priority for me and I am committed to making sure that the views of people who live in rural areas are heard.

“We took their concerns into account in setting our new rural crime strategy setting out our commitment to prevent crime, to disrupt and deter the activities of criminals and work with partners to gather and share information and intelligence.”

The Rural Crime Group includes Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner; Northamptonshire Police; the CLA; Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service; National Farmers’ Union; Canal and River Trust; Community Safety Partnerships in each of the districts; Northamptonshire Acre, Northamptonshire Neighbourhood Watch.

To view the strategy visit
www.northantspcc.org.uk/rural-strategy