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“Quality Insurance Police funding crisis

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“The proportion of council tax people
He said: “The truth is that this appears
funding onto council taxpayers does pay towards policing will now inevitably rise to be a quick fix. A sticking plaster solution
Snothing to address the urgent need because there is a public safety crisis with a that injects extra money in the short-term,
for proper investment in policing. violent crime epidemic and 50 murders but one which sees the burden falling
This is the view of West Midlands Police already this year in our Force area alone unfairly on local council tax payers.
Federation chair Rich Cooke and it is also which is a grim statistic. “They are passing the buck of funding
echoed by national chair John Apter. “This regressive system of funding the the police service to the public by doubling
Rich was commenting after police police service will impact more on poorer the council tax precept that Police and Crime
minister Nick Hurd announced towards the taxpayers in areas such as ours and continue Commissioners (PCCs) are allowed to
end of last year that police funding would the postcode lottery whereby those who live charge.”
benefit from an extra £970 million for in higher income force areas are better able He accused the Government of ignoring
2019/20 which includes £153 million to pay. the ‘bigger elephant in the room’, stating:
towards the police pension deficit. “This is a divisive way to pay for a vital “The reality is that this new funding won’t
MOTOR INSURANCE and Crime Commissioner (PCC) raises their public service, and will do nothing to address lead to hundreds more officers on the
It also allows for £509m if every Police
streets and PCCs and chief constables have
the urgent significant investment we truly
council tax precept by £2 a month, or £24 a need. The Government has got its priorities to be honest about that. This is a standstill
HOME INSURANCE year. And there is another £161m from wrong. Law and order, the foundation of our policing budget – it will plug the gap to a
central Government funding towards the
degree but householders are unlikely to
nation, is being fatally undermined at a
police service.
“The first priority of any Government crucial moment in our history.” experience a tangible improvement in their
area,” John said.
National Federation chair John Apter has

MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE should be the protection of its citizens. Any called the announcement ‘a sticking plaster financial investment in the service to pull it
“What is needed now is long-term
extra money is, of course, welcome but let’s
solution’ that injects extra money in the
not be under any illusion that this will do short term but passes the buck of funding back from the brink so that we can start
anything other than plug a gap the the police service to the public by doubling being more proactive again, ploughing more
Government itself created on pensions and, the council tax precept that PCCs are resources back into things that matter to
even worse than that, shifts the tax burden allowed to charge. the public, like neighbourhood policing and
on to already hard-pressed council taxpayers John Apter welcomed the extra cash but the front-line, and building better
through the police precept,” Rich explained insisted the Government ‘had to be honest relationships to keep local communities
in mid-December. about what it actually means’. safe.”

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