Wiltshire Police face cutbacks unless bill rises, says PCC

Wiltshire's policing boss has warned the force faces cutbacks unless he raises the amount residents pay.

Areas like the control room, administration, vehicle and building maintenance would all be at risk, said police and crime commissioner Philip Wilkinson.

He is proposing an increase which works out at an extra £10 a year for a Band D property.

Mr Wilkinson said the rise would allow them to "deliver a lot better service".

Wiltshire Police is growing rather than shrinking for the first time in over a decade, with 62 extra officers set to join this year.

Mr Wilkinson wants to use them to bolster rural policing, roads policing, cyber crime and for the force's extra work to improve the safety of women and girls.

But while more frontline officers are on the way, Mr Wilkinson says the force faces cutbacks in other areas if the police's share of the council tax bill does not go up.

The commissioner wants to increase the police's share of council tax by 4.1% but it comes at a time when all other household bills are rising.

"For me to sustain the level of service that we are giving right now, will require that I either take a hit of £1.4m or I put up the precept by 83p a month," said Mr Wilkinson.

"It is for the people of Wiltshire now to decide and to tell me, as this is only a proposal so far, if they will accept that proposal of £10 a year.

"We will deliver a lot better service than they have been given thus far," he added.

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