HOUSEHOLDS in Basildon and the wider region will be paying around an additional ten pounds a year to fund policing.

The decision on this year's police precept was made at a meeting today (Thursday, 4 February) of the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Panel.

There is no increase to the council tax allocated to the fire service, but the policing element of the council tax will go up by 4.98 per cent, equivalent to £9.90 a year for a Band D property.

The average cost for a Band D property annually for policing will now be £208.53, with an additional £73.89 for the fire service.

The increase was proposed by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex Roger Hirst who says the rise will allow for 184 more police officers to enable Essex Police to keep people safe, prevent crime and catch criminals.

Mr Hirst said: "As a country we are under intense financial pressure, and every penny we spend needs to make a difference. We also need to set out clearly what the public can expect to see as a result of this extra funding.

"I have been through the budgets for both services with the chief officers and am convinced that today's support for my budget proposals will get the result we want. We have also continued to improve the efficiency of both services and the Essex Police budget alone includes £3.5m additional efficiency savings that will be reinvested in the frontline.

"These budgets mean that Essex will be an even safer and more secure county and will help deliver the services that the public want and that are set out as priorities in both my Police and Crime Plan and Fire and Rescue Plan.

"As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic it is more vital than ever that we continue to support our emergency services. This investment in policing will continue to push back crime and creates the safe and secure communities that are the bedrock on which communities flourish and businesses grow and prosper. The police and fire and rescue services are essential to creating the environment we all need and where we can build back better and stronger than ever before.

"Over the last few years, we have provided the funding to enable Essex Police to recruit more than 500 extra officers. These officers have strengthened our response to serious violence, exploitation and gangs, they have transformed our community policing teams, introduced town centre teams, the rural crime team and the business crime team and shifted the focus of policing in our county from managing demand to proactively preventing crime.

"This has resulted in significant reductions in burglary, theft and anti-social behaviour and early signs that we are successfully fighting back against the scourge of violent crime in our communities. It is working. This budget will take that increase to over 700 additional officers.

"We know times are tough, so we are not using all the precept increase permitted for policing or increasing the precept for the fire and rescue service. We will use the proportion we need, so we can continue our fight to push down crime and create the communities we all need to prosper."