Public want well-funded police, Somerset survey shows (From Yeovil Express)

Public want well-funded police, Somerset survey shows

9:00am Thursday 4th February 2010

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PEOPLE throughout Somerset have been sharing their views on the police budget in a survey carried out for Avon and Somerset Police Authority.

The authority commissioned Ipsos Mori to survey residents across Avon and Somerset to find how much they want to pay for policing in 2010/11.

Results show that 82% of respondents would prefer the police authority to set a level of council tax which would maintain or improve policing services.

Only 6% of residents favoured Avon and Somerset Police Authority setting an increase as low as possible by making cuts to services.

Chair of Avon and Somerset Police Authority Dr Moira Hamlin said: “The police authority understands that we must set a budget that balances the needs of the community to maintain frontline policing while keeping costs to a minimum, as many households are feeling the pressures of the economic recession.

“The situation is made all the more difficult as we continue to lose £12 million a year that we are assessed to need by the Government’s own funding formula.

“We will carry on lobbying the government for adequate funds for policing and we have secured an additional 1% more than the minimum increase.

“Even then, by the end of the Governments funding cycle, this financial year, the authority will have lost nearly £59 million, which equates to 272 police constables or 409 PCSOs extra who we could have employed every single year.

“When we set the policing part of the council tax we will take account of the views from residents and set a budget that ensures the Constabulary can run as efficiently and effectively as possible without charging unaffordable increases in tax.”

Avon and Somerset Police Authority will be setting its budget next Wednesday (February 10).

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