What you pay in council tax towards policing

Under the terms of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) must set the force budget and determine the precept.

It is the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to make sure the Constabulary has the necessary resources to meet increased demand and ensure offenders are apprehended.

How the budget works

The income received by the Police and Crime Commissioner to fund the police budget is made up by a central government grant with the remainder coming from the precept.

The Constabulary continues to be one of the lowest funded police forces in the country in terms of the funding per head of population it receives from the central government grant, resulting in a constant risk of under resourced policing services.

The Commissioner allocates the vast majority of the funding that he receives directly to the Chief Constable for policing services.

Of that funding for 2025/26, the Commissioner has allocated 99% to the Chief Constable to deliver policing services. The remaining 1% has been retained by the Commissioner to deliver the statutory responsibilities that his office has.

Whilst Cambridgeshire is still a safe place to live, police now have to spend more time tackling ‘hidden crimes’ such as domestic abuse, child sexual exploitation and modern day slavery. They also spend time helping people who find themselves in mental health crisis, all of which means resources can be stretched.

The policing part of council tax will be increased by 18 pence per week for a Band A property and 27 pence per week on a Band D property and comes into force from 1st April 2025.

The government funding settlement together with the precept increase is a great opportunity to ensure the Constabulary is properly equipped to keep the growing population of Cambridgeshire safe.

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