PCC Sue Mountstevens Hopes for Flexibility for Bristol Police Council Tax Rise

Would you approve of a rise in your council tax for policing?

Avon and Somerset Police are asking people living within their constabulary if they would consider upping their council tax to cover police costs.

Flexibility to do this was given by the Government last year, allowing all Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to raise the policing part of the council tax  by £1 a month for band D households.

Sue Mountstevens is the PCC for Avon and Somerset. Hoping the same flexibility will happen this year she has launched an online survey asking for people’s opinions. The rise would happen from April 2019.

The additional money would go towards disrupting drug supplies on the streets, improve police response to burglary, increased response to cyber crime and extend Operation Topaz, which stops those responsible for child abuse.

A £4.5M of savings would have to be found otherwise and the number of police officers and PSCOs would not be able to be ‘sustained’.

Sue Mountstevens says she wants to ‘protect neighbourhood policing and employ ‘up to’ 300 police officers. She also says that next year’s focus will be the threat from serious and organised crime.