How much extra would you pay for policing and crime prevention?

People across Nottinghamshire are today being asked how much more they would be willing to pay toward the cost of maintaining public safety over the next year.

Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden has launched a consultation to give people the opportunity to have their say on the potential options to raise funds to pay for policing, crime prevention and support services.

The Government provides a grant for each police force area across the country, but the remaining costs must be met mostly through the policing precept in people’s local council tax bills.

The PCC has a duty each year to set a balanced budget and set the amount of funding that will be generated through council tax locally.

Members of the public are now being asked what they think would be a reasonable amount to pay locally to ensure services can be maintained. The questions include detail on how much each option would raise and what it could pay for.

As part of the survey, people are also being given the opportunity to say what types of initiatives they would most like to see Nottinghamshire Police and PCC focus their resources on in 2025.

PCC Godden said: “The public’s voice is incredibly important when it comes to big decisions on policing and support services in Nottinghamshire.

“Police officer numbers have returned to the levels they were a decade ago in Nottinghamshire. However, inflationary costs and the rising scale and complexity of the demand on policing continue to place increasing pressure on our services. This is despite the year-on-year efficiency savings that we continue to deliver.

“In 2025, I would still need to raise a little more from the precept if we are to maintain current service levels. I know that policing, crime prevention and community safety are important issues to the residents of Nottinghamshire, but I am also acutely aware of the financial pressures many Nottinghamshire households face.

“I hope you can spare around three minutes of your time to answer the questions in the public consultation and help me to make the right decision for Nottinghamshire.

“I thank you in advance for your support in our work to prevent and respond to crime, support victims and keep Nottinghamshire Safe.”

• To take part in the consultation, which closes on 20 January, visit https://forms.office.com/e/60fGPhrASJ