Extra £6.8million in funding for Lincolnshire Police could pay for 49 more officers

In total PCC Marc Jones will receive £76.4m from the Government in 2020/21 to invest in policing – up from £73m this year.

The rest of the policing budget is paid for directly by local residents through Council Tax which currently amounts to around £59m, but the Government has allowed Police and Crime Commissioners the flexibility to raise the local precept in 2021 by 29p per week for an average Band D property.

If Mr Jones receives support through his consultation to increase Council Tax it will mean that there could be £138.4m next year to deliver policing across Lincolnshire - an increase of £6.8m

A decision on the increase in the police element of the Council Tax will be made in the New Year, only after the results of an extensive public consultation are reviewed.

Mr Jones said he welcomed the increase in funding that will pay for an extra 49 police officers next year.

“There is much to celebrate in the Government announcement and any extra funding will be invested in keeping our communities safe, most going directly to boost Officer numbers,” said Mr Jones.

“The Government’s programme to increase the number of frontline officers is already making a real difference and it is excellent news that support will continue for that.

“I am very conscious of the pressures all residents are under due to the effects of the pandemic and the burden a decision to increase Council Tax, even by a small amount would make.

“However, I have to balance that against delivering the best possible policing to keep our communities safe. Any decisions should and will be based on the feedback from our robust consultation.”

Government funding across England and Wales will increase to £15.8 billion and will support further increases in police officer numbers as part of the £400 million commitment to recruit 20,000 officers by March 2022/23.

A decision on the policing element of the Council Tax will be made in the New Year.

Alongside getting more officers out on the street, the funding settlement will enable policing to tackle serious violence and increase the number of specialist officers tackling terrorism and serious organised crime, including child sexual abuse and drug trafficking.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Officers across the East Midlands have been working hard all year to keep their communities safe, and I am grateful for their hard work and continued efforts.

“This funding package will ensure they continue to deliver on their communities’ priorities of more officers, less crime and safer streets.”

National funding for counter-terrorism policing will total up to £914 million, including money for armed policing and more officers. In addition, counter-terrorism policing will receive £32 million to establish a new Counter-Terrorism Operations Centre to keep the country safe from a range of threats.

The Government also recognises that, during the coronavirus pandemic, huge demands have been made of the police.

It has provided additional support throughout, including £30m of surge funding to help forces step up COVID-19 enforcement activities in 2020/21, and why it reimbursed all additional personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased between March and July.

The final police funding settlement will be debated in Parliament ahead of the new financial year.