More Hampshire police officers to be recruited as council tax agreed to rise by highest amount

By Natalia Forero and Toby Paine
Published 27th Jan 2023, 18:40 BST
Updated 27th Jan 2023, 18:40 BST
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Fifty more police officers could be on the streets of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight after a larger council tax increase was agreed.

The county’s Police and Crime Panel met today to decide whether to support Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones in her bid to hire more officers.

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The panel approved to increase the amount of money people pay through their council tax towards policing – also known as a police precept.

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Newly-elected Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones with Hampshire police's Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney in Winchester Picture: Ben Mitchell/PA WireNewly-elected Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones with Hampshire police's Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney in Winchester Picture: Ben Mitchell/PA Wire
Newly-elected Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones with Hampshire police's Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney in Winchester Picture: Ben Mitchell/PA Wire

Previously residents paid £236.46 towards the police precept per annum for a band D home, under the approved proposal residents would pay an additional £15.

Speaking to the panel, PCC Donna Jones said 8,409 people supported the consultation that was held to see whether residents agree to increase the budget for the police.

She added that the extra £15 will allow an increase in wages which officers haven’t seen in four years.

The additional funding will allow the constabulary to invest in additional staff and in IT systems to tackle cybercrime.

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The PCC finished by stating that the 50 additional officers will be hired within 12 months.

Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney added: ‘We are not immune to inflation, everything that we need to buy is much more expensive from boots to walkie-talkies or vests.

‘Those 50 will provide additional support, they all will go to operational and visible roles however, the recruitment doesn’t stop here. This needs to be a precedent for following years.’

The new levy will provide the force with an extra £12.3m from council tax, additionally, central government is likely to grant £4.2m on top.

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The PCC set out an ambition in 2021 to have 600 additional police officers working for the constabulary by the end of 2023.

If the 50 officers are hired within 12 months the force would have exceeded its target.

The county council – or in Portsmouth and Southampton’s case the unitary council authority – levies the lion’s share of council tax. Other charges come from the police, the fire service and parish councils. In non-unitary authorities – anywhere covered by the county council – the borough or district council levies a charge as well.