Council tax payers across Gwent will face a rise of 6.82% in their police precepts from April, it has been decided.
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, has agreed the precept rise following a consultation and a recommendation by Gwent’s Police and Crime Panel.
The panel, made up of councillors from the five Gwent councils, recommended that an increase of 6% is considered.
An initial proposal to increase the precept by 6.99% was not accepted by the panel, and has now been slightly lowered.
The increase means that from April, the average household in Gwent will pay £1.45 extra per month for its policing service.
Mr Cuthbert said: “I want to reassure residents that this decision was not taken lightly.
“As well as the financial case put forward by Gwent Police and recommendations from the Gwent Police and Crime Panel, my office also carried out extensive engagement across Gwent, ensuring that as many people as possible had an opportunity to share their views.”
Around 66% of residents said they were in favour of paying an extra £2 a month – which equates to a rise of 9.39% – to maintain policing provision at current levels in a public consultation.
The precept increase will also go towards funding new police staff roles to support the 170 police officer posts created since 2016.
The money will also go towards maintaining police officer levels, meeting increased levels of crime, and avoiding cuts to frontline services.
“I am reassured that the extra funding will allow Gwent Police to maintain its previous investment in recruitment, and in priority areas such as neighbourhood policing, child protection, domestic abuse, rape, sexual assault, hate crime, and serious and organised crime,” Mr Cuthbert added.
The agreed rise is still higher than recommended by the crime panel, which raised concerns over the burden of a proposed 6.99% increase on council tax payers.
Pam Kelly, chief constable of Gwent Police, added: “I am grateful for the support that the Gwent Police and Crime Panel and the residents of Gwent have shown in agreeing this funding increase.
“We will continue our focus on building safer communities and making sure that Gwent residents are confident that we will be there when they most need us.”