‘Average’ households in Dorset will be paying £14 extra for the county’s police force in the coming financial year.
In total more than £97 million will be raised across the county making the police element of a Band D council tax bill £307.58, an increase of £14 over the year.
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said that around 100 jobs could be at risk without the rise.
But he told the police and crime panel budget setting meeting that there were some things the force wouldn’t be investing in because – in his words – “we haven’t got enough dosh”.
Mr Sidwick said that around 40 per cent of respondents in a survey said they would be prepared to pay more than £14 extra for the service, but that option was not open to him.
In response to a question from Dorset Council’s financial portfolio holder Cllr Simon Clifford he admitted that the question of paying £14 extra, and not getting an improved service, was not asked in the survey.
Mr Sidwick said that while there would be some policing areas where savings would continue to be sought throughout the year, other areas would see some extra investment.
Chief Constable Amanda Pearson said that the force had just undergone a challenging financial year yet had still managed to reduce crime, with fewer victims, more perpetrators bought to justice and answering emergency calls faster.
She said: “With that £14 precept I will continue to focus on those key areas to ensure that the public get the service that they need from Dorset Police when they are in those times of crisis and emergency.”
The Chief Constable said the force would need to concentrate on improving productivity where it could and make sure officers with the rights skills were making a difference for the county’s population.
Councillors heard that a process was already in place to reduce some police ‘backroom’ posts – a move which the Chief Constable admitted was likely to impact on remaining staff.
The new budget will allow the force to add £300,000 to reserve funds which have currently been reduced to near the minimum three per cent level.
Mr Sidwick said that the force remained one of the poorest funded in the country by the government with little account taken of its influx of summer visitors, its older than average population, or being a large rural area.