Town champion has 'grave concerns' over impact of planned policing cuts
A Melton Mowbray town centre champion says she has ‘grave concerns’ about planned policing cuts which she says will leave residents and businesses less safe.
We reported yesterday (Wednesday) how Leicestershire and Rutland Police and crime commissioner (PCC) Rupert Matthews has put forward a budget which would leave a funding gap of £4.7M.
Mr Matthews wants to increase the levy – the money which contributes to Council Tax bills – by £11 a year for the average Band D property instead of the maximum allowable £15 per annum.
Sharon Butcher, Melton borough councillor for Craven Ward and vice-chair of the Safer Melton Partnership, believes most people would be happy to pay the extra £4 a year – the equivalent of 8p a week - to feel safer in their homes and at work.
She says she will be arguing strongly against the suggested new policing budget when she sits on the Police and Crime Panel committee on February 4, when it will be decided. The Temporary Chief Constable, David Sandall, has also pledged to argue in favour of a higher levy at the meeting.
Councillor Butcher told the Melton Times: “With an 8p a week increase, or £4 a year, for our residents to feel safe I think we would all agree to pay as this affects our residents, retail businesses and visitors to the town in terms of having safer streets.
“In recent years we have repeatedly seen the service rise to the challenges of austerity and cost-cutting but I feel I must now support the chief constable in saying enough is enough.
“The last Safer Partnership Meeting were advised that for the first time in years all posts for police officers were filled in Melton but through this decision it could all change.”
By increasing the policing budget with an increase of £15 a year instead of the proposed £11 per annum, the Leicestershire and Rutland force would have an extra £1.4M to invest in the service.
Councillor Butcher highlighted the strong working relationship between the police, the Safer Melton Partnership and traders which has helped clamp down on shop thefts and burglaries in the town centre plus a reduction in anti-social behaviour with help from the SMART mobile phone network involving more than 100 businesses..
“The joint working between the police and council showed what could be achieved working together and it is with this experience that I have to express grave concerns at the decision by the PCC to impose further reductions on Leicestershire police,” she added.
The prospect of budget cuts has also prompted T/Chief Constable Sandall to comment: “I will be attending the panel to outline my concerns that Rupert Matthews’s precept proposals create a gap in funding and will have a longer-term impact on our ability to deliver the current service to the public of Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland (LLR).
“The force has been working tirelessly for many weeks to ensure the PCC has the right information and advice, which has taken a tremendous amount of time and energy to ensure we could provide the best advice, information and solutions.
“I recognise that no-one really wants to pay more tax and of course we recognise the pressures on people’s finances, with many in force managing financial pressures.
"However, this must be balanced with the ability to prevent harm, keep people safe and ensure that we can deliver an efficient and effective police service and have the resources to do this.”
He pointed out that Leicestershire Police is already one of the lowest funded police forces nationwide – seventh lowest out of 43 – and yet it ranks within the top eight performing forces.
In addition, he said that the public consultation into the policing budget showed 69 per cent of respondents were willing to pay above £11, that 56 per cent were happy to pay £14 or above and the highest single choice in the survey showed 38 per cent willing to support £15.
In the last three years, the force has seen a reduction in funding of £23M and it faces a £9M deficit in 2027/28, rising to £16.4M by 2029/30, Mr Sandall said.
T/Chief Constable David Sandall added: “We have a lot of work to do to ensure we continue to deliver a high level of service to the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland whilst ensuring we work within these financial constraints, which is a huge undertaking.
“I do not think the budget provided is the right decision for the public or the force.
"It is important that I am clear on my legal obligations to deliver this police service to the people of LLR and to be respectful of the PCC’s responsibilities.”
Explaining his budget proposal, Mr Matthews said he carefully considered whether to raise the levy by the maximum five per cent – a £15 increase – but said he had to consider residents as well as the police force.
He commented: “Just because I can ask local people to pay an additional £15 towards policing, it doesn’t mean I should.
“It’s true that I have been calling for more funding for Leicestershire Police for years. I will continue to do so. But this money should come from central government, not local residents.”
Mr Matthews said he was cutting his own office budget by three per cent – around £162,000 – and re-investing that money in frontline policing.
The force has already identified £3.5M in savings meaning the chief constable must now find a further £1.2M in cuts.
A report published ahead of the Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Panel meeting next week reveals that 17 police staff roles are already set to go – alongside one superintendent post – saving close to £1M.