Residents expected to face inflation-busting rise in bill for policing this year

Around three-quarters of the money needed to operate South Yorkshire Police comes direct from the Government, but the rest is raised through council tax bills.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has now launched a consultation before deciding on next year’s figures, but is proposing to impose the maximum allowed, which works out around 5.5 per cent.

Currently, inflation is running at 2.5 per cent.

That would mean the amount charged to property occupants rising by £14 a year for a band D property, taking the total payment for households in that band to £265 a year.

Under the proposed increase, that would mean band D properties being billed for another 27 pence per week.

However, almost six in ten properties in South Yorkshire are in band A, which would see an increase of £9.33 a year, to an annual charge of £176.69, working out at 18 pence per week more.

Mr Coppard took on the Police and Crime Commissioner role as part of his duties after being re-elected as Mayor last summer and this is his first consultation on the precept.

He said: “South Yorkshire Police rely on the money raised through the precept to fund the work that they do.

“After 14 tears of police budgets being squeezed by the last Government, the money we raise locally to pay for policing is more important than ever.

“I am proud of the work South Yorkshire Police do every day to keep us safe.

“But of course, there is always more we can do.

“I want to see South Yorkshire Police continue to prioritise knife crime, and I want our roads to become much, much safer, to do more to tackle anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood crime, and when crime does happen, to respond more quickly.

“I’m determined to keep our communities safe; to do everything I can to give the police the capacity, the resources and the support they need to do their job, and to truly respond to the challenges we face.”

The service also has a problem because a ‘black hole’ of at least £65m was discovered in its finances, due to accounting issues. Work is ongoing to resolve that problem.