Public have their say on policing priorities
Survey results have delivered a clear message...
...that people want to maintain the current high standards of policing in
Hertfordshire, have a stronger focus on tackling anti-social behaviour and
other neighbourhood concerns, and would pay more in council tax to make
that possible .
Survey results have delivered a clear message that people want to maintain the current
high standards of policing in Hertfordshire, have a stronger focus on tackling anti-social
behaviour and other neighbourhood concerns, and would pay more in council tax to
make that possible .
Faced with significant shortfalls in Government grants (see Editors Notes), Hertfordshire
Police Authority conducted the on-line survey to find out people’s view on policing
priorities and how much people would be prepared to pay to provide the levels of policing
needed to tackle them.
Of the 1,800 people who responded to the survey, 78% said they would pay more than
the cost of inflation rise (1.5% - 4p a week for a Band D property) to protect police
services in the county.
Stuart Nagler, Chair of Hertfordshire Police Authority, said: “We have all become
used to receiving a good standard of policing in Hertfordshire over the past few
years and it is clear that the public want this to continue. In the past, we
have used our reserves to help bridge the gap in Government funding but this
is not a viable option for the future and the Authority now faces major financial
difficulties.
“The results of the survey are a real vote of confidence in our police service
and for that we would like to thank the people of Hertfordshire. In return, we
promise to continue to provide the best possible police service.
“We will be developing both our Policing Plan and the budget over the next
few weeks and will consider very carefully the feedback we have received
from the public, both through the survey and from other consultation. However,
at the same time, we must bear in mind that the current recession is not only
affecting the Police Authority but also our Council Tax payers,
and limit the burden we place on them.
Results from the survey showed that the 999 response is still the most
important policing priority for the public (97%), followed closely by neighbourhood
policing (91%). Suggested ‘new’ priorities of anti-social and anti-social motoring
also received strong support – 87% said that local anti-social behaviour was a
high priority, together with tackling speeding that impacts on local people (71%).
“Anti-social behaviour and anti-social motoring emerged as a priority from
an analysis of the 200,000 non-emergency calls made to the police
over the past year. Rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour is the largest single
reason why the public ring the police, and, in addition, a considerable
number of calls are about all types of inconsiderate motoring, whether it be
parking on zig zag lines, speeding near schools or in residential areas or the
illegal use of mobile phones whilst driving,” Stuart added. “Though less
serious than burglary, violent assault and other crimes, anti-social
behaviour and inconsiderate motoring impact significantly on the quality of life
of far more people in Hertfordshire and should, therefore, be recognised by the police as a priority.