Notts Council Tax payers bear brunt of police cuts

In light of a further reduction in police funding from central Government, householders in Nottinghamshire will pay 1.95 per cent more on their Council Tax bill for policing in the coming year.

This comes as Nottinghamshire Police’s Government grant falls by £1.9m to £124.2m for the coming financial year - a shortfall that will be made up for by an increase in the force’s Council Tax precept.

Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping said: “Police funding has changed irrevocably and is unlikely to ever return to the levels we saw in the previous decade. This has led to huge changes in the way forces now deliver policing.

“In Nottinghamshire there is real innovation, coupled with a desire to reshape services in the drive to provide high quality policing that keeps communities safe.”

He continued: “I am asking people to pay a little more towards policing over the next year. Let’s not forget that Nottinghamshire remains a safe place to live, work and visit - over the past year there were fewer violence with injury, antisocial behaviour, drugs, robbery and vehicle crimes.”

For householders living in a Band D property this increase equates to an extra 7p a week (or £3.51 a year).

Mr Tipping announced plans to fund extending GPS tagging to knife crime offenders and commit more resources to raising awareness of the horrors of sexual violence. He also wants to reduce the demand on the police by focusing on prevention.