Jeff Cuthbert, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, has warned that half of his force’s budget will have to be raised through local taxation by 2021, if current UK Government spending cuts continue.
Speaking to BBC Wales, former Caerphilly AM Mr Cuthbert said he understood that people did not want to pay more for the police precept, which is collected with council tax.
However, if the projected 2% cuts from the Home Office continued, then around 50% of Gwent Police’s budget will have to be paid for locally – compared to around 30% in 2008.
He said: “[We] need to see a sustainable police force in Gwent. There has to be minimum standards that we deliver which have to be paid for somehow.
“But if the UK government continue with their austerity programme and continue to reduce their central grant to us then we have little choice other than to turn to the local population for that input.
“Again, none of this will happen without explanation and consultation.”
Gwent Police reduced its staffing levels by 16% between 2012 and 2015 because of cuts to its budget – the second highest reduction in Wales and England.
Plaid Cymru AM Steffan Lewis, who represents the South Wales East area, argued the issue meant that policing should now be devolved to Wales.
He said: “Gwent’s cut in staffing levels is the second highest of any force in Wales and England and officers are expected to meet the high expectations placed upon them by both government and the public.
“We must now demand the devolution of policing to Wales as a matter of urgency before our forces are cut even further.
“The nature of policing here and the priority that is placed on community safety here means we must take control over our own destiny in this respect. Westminster will not invest sufficiently in our police forces so we must find the political will to do so ourselves.”
A Home Office Spokesperson said: “The police funding settlement for 2016/17 is a good deal and overall police spending has been protected in real terms. The settlement ensures that no Police and Crime Commissioner is seeing a reduction in their level of funding in cash this year compared to the previous year as long as they increased their local police council tax precept.
“It is a matter for PCCs to decide the level of precept to support local policing priorities and protect the public. Every force and PCC owes a duty to the communities they serve to ensure they are deploying their resources in the most effective way they can, and to drive further efficiency savings wherever possible.”
This is an alarming possibility, which may not end with only half of the Police Budget having to be met by the residents.
It used to be a fact that residents paid Taxes to the Government of the day; and paid Rates to the local Council; both generally supported the provision of different things, the government paid for Police and other things, the Council paid for far more things which we directly benefit from day in day out. Rubbish Collections, Street Cleaning, the maintainence of Cemetries, the provision of Births and Marriages certification, education, elederly care, including the 100% of provision of Care homes and elderly residential homes, roadside hedge cutting,parks maintainence and cleaning, WATER RATES incuding sewerage etc, and in the good old days, even generated their own power.
The citizen now pays increased `Rates` to the council via the Council Tax, and then pays additional TAX via fees for almost all of the above original provision, and all going up evey year, We now pay Water and Sewerage Rates separatly, NOTHING was deducted from the Council rates for this, etc etc.
Now Jeff Cuthbert warns of the same principle, we pay Tax to the Government, which we always did included paying for the Police provision, now, We continue to pay the tax to the government, and Jeff will be left with the need to collect more money from the residents of Gwent to pay for the police he and his Senior police officers say they need to run an effective police force, because, the government is FAILING to use our money to properly fund Gwent Police.
The people of Gwent should support Jeff Cuthbert in doing all he can to put pressure on the UK government to pay a proper contribution towards our police, and minimise the effects he warns about,
The position of Police and Crime Commissioner is an utter waste of £70’000 every year to the taxpayer, it’s easy to continually blame westminster whilst having their snouts in the trough claiming expenses for everything and anything they possibly can, no doubt Mr Cuthbert is just softening us all up for next years massive council tax increases, the typical Labour way – if the money won’t stretch then raise taxes yet again, how about get rid of some staff as in my experience of Gwent Police they’re all pretty useless anyway so won’t be missed.
Very constructive and thought provoking comment; WoW! But you have the actual cost of the engagement of A Police and Crime Commissioner wrong, you forgot to factor in the cost of a Deputy Commissioner, personal support staff, (for both) travel expenses and other expenses like hotels and meals whilst on regular sortees to London and all points east west and north, and what about that official car and driver?
But none of this is Jeff Cuthberts doing, and under the circumstances JC will make a far better and more public friendly, efficient Police Commissioner than we have seen in the last one, already JC, I am told, is addressing many historic concerns and complaints submitted by residents in respect to decisions made by the last commissioner which in the oppinion of residents, seriously disadvantaged communities throughout Gwent, and that was the failure of having an Ex Copper in the job, now, we have a man of the people in the job.
The PCC position and all the freeloaders that come with it are all
an utter waster of public money, Mr Cuthbert was voted in through the back door as a side show to the main event and is now simply boosting his pension fund, he could save millions in one stroke by getting rid of most of the incompetent staff who aren’t fit to serve the public….but then they aren’t serving the public, that’s the problem. My rant of comment was hardly constructive, it’s just a rant.
And there`s me Paul reading the best in your comments, when it was only a rant, bu–er, I will have to learn the difference,and learn why people want to waste their time and energy `ranting`?.