Suffolk council tax increase to better 101 service, says PCC

Suffolk PCC Tim Passmore is proposing the maximum allowed increase of the policing element of council tax

An increase in the policing element of council tax is being proposed to tackle delays in answering calls to the 101 non-emergency service.

Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Tim Passmore said the increase was needed due to insufficient government funding.

Mr Passmore is proposing a £10 a year increase for Band D homes for 2022-23.

The Home Office said it had "given the police the funding they need to cut crime".

The 101 service in Suffolk has come under fire with an average response time of 15 minutes for calls to be answered for the year 2020-2021, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

As part of its response to the Police and Crime Plan, a submission from Labour-run Ipswich Borough Council said callers had faced waiting times of up to 30 minutes which had "led to a rise in residents advising councillors that they no longer attempt to report a crime to the police".

Chief Constable Steve Jupp said: "The importance of the CCR [contact and control room] cannot be overstated as it performs a crucial service to the public and the Constabulary.

"As part of their inspection of Suffolk Constabulary in 2021, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services identified a number of areas for improvement in the CCR that to address will require an increase in staffing.

"These include improving the assessment of threat, harm and risk in calls received, the deployment of resources and better identification of vulnerability."

The money would be used to improve the non-emergency 101 service, Mr Passmore said

Mr Passmore, a Conservative PCC, said the proposed increase was the maximum allowed and it would generate an extra £2.5m.

About £1m would fund existing commitments, such as pay and inflation costs, while £1.4m would go towards improvement plans for the control room, including extra staff.

"Our funding from government this year is just not enough, even with the savings programme already agreed," said Mr Passmore.

For Band B properties, the most common in Suffolk, it would mean an increase of £7.77 per year on the annual council tax bill.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Beating crime is the government's number one priority and we have given the police the funding they need to cut crime, keep our streets safe and protect victims.

"Suffolk Police will receive up to £149.8m in 2022-23, an increase of up to £7.8m on 2021-22 and they have already recruited an additional 103 officers.

"We expect forces to support the delivery of the Beating Crime Plan to keep families and communities safe."

A public consultation on the plans is open until 27 January and the proposals would then be presented to the Police and Crime Panel.

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