Police chiefs call for maximum council tax rise

Sussex Police chiefs have called for the maximum rise in their part of council tax to give them "a fighting chance" of balancing their budget.

They have said a forecast deficit of £14m for 2025/26 would be reduced to £5m if the police precept was raised by 5.5%.

That would be equivalent to an extra £14 a year on a Band D property, up to £266.

Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said she would decide next week what level of police precept she would ask residents to pay.

Chief Constable Jo Shiner told the Performance and Accountability meeting on Thursday: "There is a stark reality to this, that if we don't get this investment then we will have to make some incredibly difficult choices about what, as a force, we do and don't do."

She said increased investment since 2019 had allowed the force to recruit more than 500 extra officers, leading to a rise of 35% in crimes solved in 2023, and a 52% increase in 2024 - despite an increase in the number of crimes recorded.

Chief finance officer Peter Appleton said the operating cost of Sussex Police for 2025/26 would be £426.5m.

He said that had jumped by £30m due to "externally driven" cost increases including pay awards, price inflation and the increase in employer's national insurance contributions.

He said a deficit of £5m would place Sussex Police "within a fighting chance" of balancing its budget.

He said a cost-saving programme had already saved £1.3m and was expected to save another £2m over the next financial year.

He added: "We have an ongoing tactical savings programme which will continue to run regardless of whether we have a deficit to maximise efficiency in public spending and make every pound count."

Ms Bourne said the government grant settlement for Sussex Police was £254.1m, an increase of £13.9m.

She said the Performance Grant from the Home Office had reduced from £9m to £7.5m despite Sussex Police meeting its performance targets.

She added she felt the "expectation from government" to raise the police precept by the maximum amount.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are ensuring police have the funding to keep our communities safe and deliver on our Safer Streets Mission.

"We have announced an overall funding increase of up to £1bn for the policing system when compared to the 2024-25 settlement, this means a 5.5% cash increase, and 3% real terms increase in funding."

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