Council tax rise set to boost police budget

The proposed rise has been announced by Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson, who says the extra funding is crucial to ensure the force can recruit 200 more officers. The police precept went up by the same amount last year.

A consultation on the plan will run until February 3.

Labour's Mr Jamieson has been an outspoken critic of the Government over cuts to the police and says the extra money that would be raised through council tax is crucial to helping support frontline policing.

The PCC has complained that Boris Johnson's police recruitment drive will still leave West Midlands Police short on the total it had in 2010. The force is due to get around 1,200 new officers over the next three years, but has lost 2,000 over the last decade.

He said: “West Midlands Police has faced cuts to its budget of £175m since 2010 which has led to a reduction of over 2,000 officers.

“Crime has also been rising across the country which is placing an extra burden on our hard working police officers who are having to do more work with less resource.

“Last year I announced that thanks to the wide ranging efficiency savings we have been making in recent years – that the force would be able to increase officer numbers by 200.

"These officers are in addition to the officers promised by the Government and will be directed into frontline policing, right where the public want them.

“To ensure that we can maintain these plans and recruit the increase officer numbers by 200, it is vital that we don’t see the budget shrink any further.

“This is why I am now seeking the views of the public on the budget and policing precept for the next year and this increase would still mean that the people of the West Midlands pay the second lowest precept in the country.”