PCC's Budget will protect policing and people

Derbyshire's PCC Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts' first budget and policing precept has received a full endorsement from the County's Police and Crime Panel.

At a meeting held on 23rd January, members of the 12-strong panel heard that this year's budget has been developed specifically to strengthen local policing and deliver the Commissioner's Police and Crime Plan.

Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts said: "Ahead of this budget I have consulted local residents at every stage, from the development of a Police and Crime Plan that prioritises their concerns, to a budget that will enable the Chief Constable to deliver against their priority areas."

The budget for policing Derbyshire in 2025-26 has been set at £245.61m an increase of 6% over the previous year.  This includes a rise of £14 a year in the policing precept (the part of the Council Tax that goes towards policing) for a Band D property, meaning that a Band D property will pay a total of £293.60 towards policing in 2025-26.

Presenting the budget to the Panel, the Police and Crime Commissioner said that the Force, like many other forces across England and Wales, continues to face a significant financial gap due to funding pressures and rising costs.  The Government provides 59% of the funding for policing Derbyshire, with the remaining 41% coming from local residents through the portion of the council tax that goes towards policing.

Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts added: "Despite the welcome uplift in funding from the Government, there is still a shortfall due to an increase in costs, including pay increases for officers and staff and the ongoing impact of inflation over the last few years.

"The £14 precept increase is therefore crucial to deliver an efficient and effective police service and sustain key performance improvements across Derbyshire.  Without this increase, we risk compromising the quality of policing services and therefore the safety of our communities. 

"At a time when I know many household budgets are stretched, I am grateful for the overwhelming support we received from local residents for an increase in the amount they pay towards policing."

During her presentation, the Commissioner highlighted the Force's commitment to tackling the issues that matter most to the public, such as violence against women and girls (VAWG) and reducing sexual offences.  To date this focus has delivered positive results.  However, maintaining this progress requires sustained investment.

Talking about the demands on the force, Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts said: "Derbyshire Constabulary is one of the lowest spending forces per capita in the country yet demand for services continues to grow. We have seen substantial increases in calls for service, particularly in complex areas such as online crime and fraud. However, despite the previous Government's Uplift programme, the force still has the same number of officers as in 2010, despite these increased demands."

The Commissioner continued: "This budget has been a really tough process, because we want to enable everything that the public wants to see.  We aim to deliver the best service for our residents, which is why we have taken a pragmatic approach, doing the best we can with the resources available.

"The Chief Constable has assured me that with this budget she will be able to deliver on the priorities in the Police and Crime Plan.  These are the public's priorities and we will address these together.

"Like other PCCs before me, I will lobby the Government tirelessly to seek a resolution to the inequity in funding between different forces.  This shouldn't be a postcode lottery. Whether it is a change to the funding formula which sees forces like Derbyshire lose out to the metropolitan forces and those with a higher precept level, or a wholehearted redistribution based on demand, I will work with the Chief Constable to secure a better deal for Derbyshire."