Executive Summary
Legislation requires that the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) agrees their budget and associated precept and basic council tax for the forthcoming year before 1st March each year.
However, before doing so the PCC must notify the relevant Police and Crime Panel, by the 31st January, of the precept which they propose to issue for the following financial year.
Increase in core funding
The Police Settlement for 2024/25 has provided the PCC with an increase in Core Government Funding of £8,670k, or 7.3%.
All of the funding increase is either specifically linked to expenditure or to decisions already made nationally, as per the below:
- £2,208k more has been provided in additional core grant to cover the costs of last year’s pay award.
- £3,479k more has been provided. This is to ensure police officer numbers are not only maintained at last year’s level but increased by a further 35 in Cleveland.
- £2,983k more has been provided to pay for higher Employer’s contributions into the Police Officer Pension Scheme.
The Government have also provided PCCs with the flexibility to increase the Police element of the council tax by £13.
It has assumed these increases in communications on the overall levels of police funding.
As with last year the PCC has been clear with the Force that in asking the public of Cleveland to pay more, they should expect more from their Police Service.
The PCC has therefore asked the Force to set out their priorities for 2024/25. Those areas should be linked to issues indicated as a priority in the Police and Crime Plan.
Last year saw an increase in police officers of 43. This year, the force has continued to highlight the need for additional Police Officers.
The proposed precept increase, of £13, for a Band D property is expected to raise just over £2.1m. This will fund an additional 48 police officers.
The planned increases in Police Officers will take Cleveland Police to the highest number of Police Officers since 2011/12.
Consultation with the public of Cleveland indicated strong support for a precept increase with 54.3% indicating that would be willing to pay £12 or more per year.
Decision 2023/24 – 0034: Police Precept Proposal 2024-25 (application, 181kB)
The 2024/25 Precept Proposal Report (application, 357kB)
2024-25 Precept report of the panel to the PCC (application, 167kB)
Cover letter for 2024-25 precept report (application, 144kB)