Petition opposes proposed rise in Northumbria police precept

Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuiness, is proposing a 7.7% increase to help plug a £12.1 million funding shortfall.

It is being opposed by Ros Munro, the Conservative candidate for Commissioner, who submitted a petition on behalf of over 170 local residents.

She argued that despite a significant uplift in police numbers, central government funding, and higher rates of tax on local people, crime has increased across Northumbria by 6% overall.

Other types of serious crime, such as violent crime and knife enabled serious violence, have risen by 5% and 12% respectively.

In her objection letter, she calls out the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for failing to address police non-attendance at over 100,000 incidents of antisocial behaviours (ASB) over the last four years.

Ros said: “These continual precept increases, concerning spending decisions, and most importantly, rising crime in the policing area raise serious questions over whether this performance is really due to funding constraints, or rather Northumbria Police’s strategic direction and your failure to guide and steer policy and hold police leadership to account.”

She has been backed by fellow Conservative Guy Renner-Thompson, who is campaigning to become the first North East Mayor.

Ms McGuinness, who is also Labour’s candidate for the upcoming North East Mayoral election, has blamed the government for ‘falling short’ in its funding allocation.

She has previously said: “The funds raised through the precept help us keep the wheels on as we keep fighting crime in the shadow of austerity. There are still stark financial pressures facing the force, totalling more than £7m, due to inflation and other rising costs in the years ahead.

“If police precept bills are frozen it would mean another £4m of cuts facing the force. It would certainly impact plans to invest further in frontline policing, keep more stations open longer and develop specialist crime units – these are things we want to deliver.

“Asking local council taxpayers to help fund our policing is a tough ask – household finances are tight enough for so many as it is. I firmly believe central government should provide the funds that would prevent putting them onto the public like this.”