Devon and Cornwall Residents Face Increased Policing Costs in 2025

Residents in Devon and Cornwall will see a £13.70 rise in council tax for policing, aimed at maintaining officer numbers and services.

Devon and Cornwall Residents Face Increased Policing Costs in 2025
Devon and Cornwall Residents Face Increased Policing Costs in 2025

Devon: Residents in Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly will pay more for policing. Starting in April 2025, council tax bills will increase by £13.70. This change comes as the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel approved a 4.99% rise in the police precept.

For Band D households, this means monthly payments will rise to £28.82. The extra funds will help boost the policing budget by £6 million. Some of this money will target anti-social behavior and support a campaign in Torquay.

Police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez assured the panel that this funding will prevent service cuts. The police force will maintain its highest-ever number of officers at 3,610. There will also be more patrols and new enquiry offices in Ivybridge, Tavistock, Exeter, and Liskeard.

Hernandez’s plan focuses on reducing burglary, shoplifting, and violence. The force needs to save £6.5 million next year, partly by cutting senior roles to increase officer presence on the streets.

Interim chief constable James Vaughan announced plans to return at least 60 constables to frontline duties. He believes the force is currently “top heavy” and will undergo a rank review.

Additionally, the government is doubling funding for neighborhood policing. Vaughan is committed to enhancing visible policing in Devon and Cornwall.

He aims to improve performance to exit “enhanced monitoring” by the inspectorate. While the force has made progress in call handling, it still faces challenges in crime recording and investigations.

A budget of around £55,000 is set aside for a deputy police and crime commissioner. Hernandez has not yet decided whether to fill this position after Mark Kingscote’s resignation.

She mentioned challenges from staff pay rises and national insurance increases not fully funded by the government. Starting salaries for officers have jumped from £19,000 to £30,000 since 2016.

Hernandez also highlighted the high cost of paying three chief constables, totaling £70,000 a month. Chief constable Will Kerr is suspended over allegations he denies, while acting chief constable Jim Colwell is under investigation for personal phone use.

Both continue to receive full pay of about £180,000 each. Hernandez is exploring whether Colwell can return to his previous role to save costs.

She noted that despite leadership challenges, policing has remained stable. However, good initiatives like victim support have been overshadowed by recent turmoil.

Panel members questioned the use of second home funds for policing instead of reducing council tax. They also raised concerns about the rising costs of the police and crime commissioner’s office.

Cllr Chris Penberthy pointed out that taxpayer money could be better spent on policing. Hernandez explained that new rules around misconduct panels have increased her office’s budget by £200,000.

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