Policing and Fire & Rescue Service Precept for 2023/2024

• Completing the expansion of Essex Police to 3,755 officers, making it the biggest and strongest in its 182-year history.
• Driving forward an improvement programme including protection and prevention services and high-quality firefighter training.

We know that people want to see less crime, more investment in Essex Police as well as continuing to have a strong fire and rescue service.

We also know that the current economic climate is tough for everybody and both services are facing significant increases due to inflation.

The budget I have set for 2023-2024 continues investment in the services while ensuring a precept increase well below the rate of inflation.

Both services have also identified ways to save money and be more efficient without reducing the number of officers, firefighters, staff or their overall capability.
The budget will enable Essex Police to complete its ambitious expansion programme, taking the total number of officers in Essex to 3,755, the biggest and strongest in its 182-year history.

The five-year investment programme in Essex Police is already making a difference with incidents of burglary down by 49 per cent, anti-social behaviour down by 55 per cent and theft by a smaller three per cent since 2016.

But there is still much more to do, especially to reduce violent crime.

This budget will also allow Essex County Fire and Rescue Service to continue its investment in preventing harm, protecting people and training firefighters. The increase will also mean that all firefighters and professional support staff can receive a pay rise that begins to reflect the professionalism and services they provide. It also starts to address some of the cost-of-living pressures being experienced, especially in the Southeast of England.

This investment requires a Band D Council Taxpayer to pay an extra £14.94 per year for policing and an extra £4.95 a year for fire and rescue services – a combined increase of £1.66 per month.

You can read more about how the investment will help make our communities safer by preventing crime, supporting victims and protecting the vulnerable on our news pages.

Roger Hirst – Your Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner

Overall, crime has seen a small reduction compared to the pre-Covid peak.

We know there is still much more to do. It is vital we continue to focus on preventing crime, investing in our new police officers, including equipping them with the right skills and technology to tackle crime effectively.

This increase in investment will help the Service to:
• Maintain its record strength and size by retaining and recruiting high quality motivated officers, staff and volunteers.
• Invest in officer skills, knowledge and training so they can reach their full capability, preventing more crime and responding more effectively to incidents.
• Provide a higher level of service to the public by better understanding the issues affecting communities, resolving more issues earlier and continuing to improve the service to victims of crime.

Our Fire and Rescue Service has made strong progress in recent years, improving the training provided to firefighters, investing in protection services
and preventing harm.

This increase in investment will help the Service:
• To continue to reduce the risk to the public and property across Essex through its protection and prevention services.
• To drive forward its improvement programme and ensuring that all firefighters receive the training and development they need to serve their communities.
• Go towards firefighters and professional support staff receiving a pay rise that begins to reflect on the professionalism and services they provide.
It also starts to address some of the cost-of-living pressures being experienced, especially in the Southeast of England.

Expenditure Budgets 2022-2024 (£000s)

Essex Police

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service

Page published on 15/02/2023