Following the publication of my Police and Crime Plan last week, I’m delighted to be launching my Autumn Survey.
This is a chance for residents across Cheshire to tell me about what’s happening in their communities, their experience with the police, and how they view their police service in general.
Starting today, the survey is being posted out to every household in Cheshire and it’s also available to complete online.
I’m carrying out this in-depth survey because as Police & Crime Commissioner I control a budget of over £240 million, I set the policing element of residents’ council tax (police precept), and I set out the public’s policing and crime priorities for the Chief Constable to deliver in order to keep our communities safe.
This is a big role. It’s important that residents understand what their Commissioner does and that they have a big say in how policing is delivered in their communities.
In the survey, I am also asking people for their views on the police budget. Over 40% of Cheshire Police’s budget comes from the police precept and we’ve estimated that a small rise will be necessary to keep the police at a standstill.
But I want to know whether residents would be happy with this, or whether they feel our police service needs more in order to deliver on their priorities.
For example, every extra 5p per week paid through the police precept above this standstill would raise an extra £1 million. That would mean with every extra 5p per week Cheshire Police could provide:
- 5p per week: 18 Officers, or 22 Intelligence Analysts, or 25 Call Operators
- 10p per week: 36 Officers, or 44 Intelligence Analysts, or 50 Call Operators
- 15p per week: 54 Officers, or 66 Intelligence Analysts, or 75 Call Operators
- 20p per week: 73 Officers, or 89 Intelligence Analysts, or 100 Call Operators
The feedback I receive here will inform my police precept proposals which I will take to the public early next year.
These are big decisions, and my Autumn Survey is designed to give every resident an equal opportunity to have a big say in how our police service protects them.
I’d be grateful if you could share this survey throughout your networks – I want as many people as possible to have their say, so that the Chief Constable and I can protect our communities and deliver on the public’s priorities set out in the Police and Crime Plan.
If you’d like a hard copy of the survey, please email pcc@cheshire.police.uk
Yours sincerely
John Dwyer
Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire