POLICE chiefs want to raise their council tax share by nearly a third in the coming year to get more bobbies on the beat and tackle crime in the community, reports Beth Broomby.

The inflation-busting increase comes on the back of other double-figure claims by Cumbria County Council, which is considering a 12 per cent increase and South Lakeland District Council, which has mooted an 11 per cent rise.

If approved the increase would bring the police share of the average band D council tax from £100 this year to £130 an increase of £30 or 30 per cent.

The hike has been pencilled in to meet on-going costs and targets coupled with a £1.5 million bid to boost community policing, which could see 50 new recruits on the streets of Cumbria next year.

Chief Constable Michael Baxter has strongly backed plans for new Local Policing Teams and a draft budget asking for more money to pay for the project is set to be discussed at Cumbria Police Authority meeting today (Friday).

Cumbria Police spokesman Mike Smith said the move came as part of a planned four-year rolling scheme costing more than £8 million over five years, which could see around 300 new police officers out in the community by 2006/7.

Based on Community Oriented Problem Solving (COPS) teams, which were used to positive effect in Kendal last year, the new units would be made up of small groups of officers, based on parish boundaries and spread across the whole county.

Mr Smith said "visibility, accessibility and familiarity" would be the watchwords of the initiative.

The Cumbria Police Federation, Cumbria Police Branch of Unison and the Superintendents' Association have backed the LPT funding bid.

Chair of Cumbria Police Federation Jane Goujon said the 3.5 per cent increase in Government grant had fallen short of expectation and, without further funding, policing levels could suffer.

"Local Policing Teams are all about getting police officers out there on the streets and providing a greater visible presence to deal with crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour, and to reassure the community. It is what the public has asked for and what we want to deliver," she said.

A report by Police Authority treasurer Bob Mather said many authorities appeared to be considering tax increases above 20 per cent due to "enormous pressures" for service development and improved policing at a time when average grants did not match inflationary costs of pay settlements, price increases, National Insurance and pension costs.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins accused the Home Secretary of shifting the burden of police funding onto local council taxpayers.

"Because of yet another poor Government settlement for Cumbria Police, Cumbrian council taxpayers look like

having to pick up the bill for public safety which should be a fundamental duty of central Government," he said.

February 14, 2003 09:30