Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner launches consultation on budget plans

Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster is asking people of Derbyshire for their views as she prepares to set the policing budget for 2023-24.

A new online survey has been launched to determine public opinion on the county's policing precept - the portion of council tax that helps to fund policing locally. In Derbyshire, only 11% of your council tax bill goes to the police.

The Commissioner is determined to build on the exceptional achievements of the past 12 months by providing the funding to train the increased number of police officers alongside the resources and technology needed to ensure officers are better equipped at tackling the crimes that matter most to local people.

The money paid by residents towards policing in 2022-23 supported a raft of improvements including an increase in road policing enforcement, the training of more officers to deal with rural crime, better call-handling and improved wait times for callers and a comprehensive Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy with specialist resources to tackle stalking.

In launching this year's survey, Commissioner Angelique Foster said: "We have worked hard this year to deliver stronger local policing and meet my Police and Crime Plan priorities to make Derbyshire safer.

"When I was elected, I promised to put the law-abiding citizen first and this is exactly what I have done. We have recruited more police officers than ever before, most of whom are already out in our communities; strengthened our rural policing team; introduced new ways of working to toughen our approach to anti-social behaviour; supported our road policing unit to catch more people speeding and breaking the law; and created specialist roles to help tackle violence against women and girls - all of which are key priorities for the public.

"2022 has been an exceptionally challenging year for everybody and will remain so. Policing has also been impacted by the economic crisis and my forthcoming budget will be set against a backdrop of rising inflation and increased demands. It is vital we are able to meet future costs while continuing to build on our success and deliver the improvements we all want to see.

"The new officers we have recruited will require future training and development to support their progression and help them perform their duties effectively. We must equip them to be able to protect themselves and the public when out on our streets and we must have the technology and specialist staff to identify criminals and stay one step ahead of the threat to our communities.

"Ongoing investment will help us increase trust and confidence in the police and deliver the quality of services local people deserve. It will also ensure we bring more criminals to justice and protect our hard-working residents from becoming victims of crime."

The force will soon have recruited the 283 additional police officers planned as part of the national Uplift Programme and is working hard to maintain the pace of recruitment.

In other progress, the Commissioner has funded the recruitment of a Stalking Coordinator to risk assess non-domestic abuse stalking cases and assist in the application of Stalking Protection Orders. In addition, the Commissioner has backed the development of a Stalking Advocate post to deliver specialist practical and emotional support to victims of stalking, initially in North-West Derbyshire but with a plan to expand to the whole of the county and has also agreed to fund an equivalent post for the City. 

Meanwhile, funding this year has also enabled the force to invest in off-road bikes for the Roads Policing Unit to tackle anti-social behaviour more proactively and an unmarked motorcycle for road safety enforcement.

Looking ahead, the force has presented the Commissioner with plans to launch a new Neighbourhood Acquisitive Crime Team, increasing the number of officers and specialist investigators dedicated to investigating and preventing robbery and burglary and make sure all home burglaries are properly investigated. In addition, there are plans to boost the Rural Crime Team still further.

There are also further plans to fund three new police staff financial investigators to relentlessly pursue criminals and seize their illegally-gained assets under Proceeds of Crime Act legislation. This would enable the force to target a range of criminality from fraud and organised crime to county lines, organised immigration crime and modern slavery and use new capabilities introduced by the Criminal Finances Act 2017.

Anti-social behaviour remains a key priority of the Commissioner and extensive training has already taken place to equip officers and staff with problem-solving training. The force currently has 83 open problem-solving plans in place and will be working with partners to bring about long terms solution in the affected communities.

The survey can be accessed here.