PROPOSALS to increase local tax in Essex to tackle deep budget cuts in policing have been approved – but officer posts will still be lost.<\/p>\n
The rise equates to an extra \u00a34.77 per year, just over a penny a day, for a Band D council tax payer.\u00a0Overall it will bring in an additional \u00a32.75 million in revenue.<\/p>\n
Despite the rise, 34 officers will be lost over the next year.<\/p>\n
Essex Police and Crime Commissioner Nick Alston proposed a one per cent increase to raise funds for crime prevention projects in local communities.<\/p>\n
Essex Police has already seen the loss of 265 officers in the last three years, according to Home Office figures.<\/p>\n
Mr Alston says the job losses were already included as part of Essex Police\u2019s four-year plan to meet over \u00a342m in budget cuts.<\/p>\n
Members of the county\u2019s Police and Crime Panel voted in favour of the increase at a meeting held on 31 January.<\/p>\n
Mr Alston said the budget plan, which he inherited from the Police Authority, had also factored in a 2.5 per cent rise in its share of council tax.<\/p>\n
The move coincides with the publication of the draft Police and Crime Plan for Essex which focuses heavily on community safety work and tackling the causes of crime.<\/p>\n
It also proposes more joint-working with agencies, reducing domestic violence and youth offending, and improving road safety.<\/p>\n
The amount of council tax which is currently paid towards policing services in Essex is the lowest in the country. Mr Alston said: \u201cWe need to spend more money on those really good causes that tackle crime in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n
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