Council tax hike 'to reopen' Devon and Cornwall Police desks

Alison Hernandez is looking to increase the police precept by the maximum amount

People in Devon and Cornwall will see their council tax bill rise to provide extra money for the region's police force. 

A decision by the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel means a 6% increase.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said the cash would provide a revenue budget of £384m, covering 3,600 officers.

She said the money would ensure 23 police station front desks were open.

The 6% increase equates to £15 per year to the contribution from band D properties, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The police and crime commissioner said: "That means officers having the time to build relationships with the people they serve, understanding the communities they work within and dealing with problems at root cause, before situations escalate."

'Relentless focus'

She claimed a "relentless focus on a model of policing" had led to the force consistently achieving "among the lowest recorded crime statistics in England and Wales".

The increased budget comes as new Office for National Statistics figures reveal crime rates in Devon and Cornwall have risen by more than 10% in a year.

Amid the ongoing inquest into the Keyham shootings, the commissioner also outlined plans for £600,000 to improve checks for firearms' licences in the region.

Meanwhile, Chief Constable Will Kerr, warned of a £2.4m funding gap in 2023/24 and "more in future years".

In his budget report he outlines the need for a "rolling programme of cost reductions", leading to the potential need to "review police staff numbers".

Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Will Kerr came into the post earlier this month

The 2023-24 budget, presented to the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel in Plymouth on Friday, also outlined a proposed £3.2m spend on services for those affected by crime.

This includes projects providing "high quality support for victims of sexual assault" and "the Keyham community affected by the shooting of 12 August 2021".

This year, police inquiry desks have reopened in Newton Abbot, Tiverton, Penzance, Truro, Bude and Falmouth.

The force recruited 24 new enquiry officers who also assist with demand on the 101 non-emergency contact service, the force said.

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