Figures published by the Home Office show the provisional police funding settlement –the total amount of money going to each police force – has been increased for Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) from £288.8million for this year to £312.6million for 2019/20.
The police funding settlement includes government grant funding, but also money that PCCs are allowed to raise locally from council tax, what is known as the precept.
In England and Wales, over £4billion comes from the precept, and PCCs are allowed to increase this council tax funding for 2019, which could raise an additional £509 million for policing through tax rises in England and Wales.
The existing Kent police precept stands at £105.1million of the £333.3million total police budget, which includes both the £288.8million funding settlement plus additional revenue streams, such as PCC reserves – savings made by individual commissioners.
A spokesman for Kent PCC, Matthew Scott, said: “These figures do include the precept, and next year, PCCs are allowed to put an additional £24 per Band D property, but there will not be any decision by Matthew Scott on the precept until the New Year.”
The current police precept for a Band D property in Kent is £169.15, which could rise to £193.15 in 2019 and could see the council tax funding for the county’s force increase to £112million.
Before any decision is made on the precept, PCCs must consult local people to explain where the additional investment is going.
