There is still time to have your say on the Policing Precept

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who has already taken the time to complete my precept survey. Your feedback is vital in helping me make an informed decision about the police precept for the next financial year.

If you have not yet had the opportunity to take part, I would welcome your views. The police precept is the portion of your council tax that helps fund local policing. Asking Dorset residents how much more they would be willing to pay towards policing is not a decision I take lightly. I fully understand the pressures households face, which makes this unfair situation all the more frustrating. Since becoming PCC in 2021, I have been tirelessly lobbying Governments and MPs to reform the national funding formula—a change essential to provide Dorset Police with the funding it needs and 

deserves.

Even after four years of intensive lobbying, the Government has maintained this inequitable funding system, making it clear that they expect forces to rely on PCCs to raise the precept. While I will continue to fight for a fairer funding arrangement, I must also be realistic and responsible. To ensure Dorset Police have the resources they need to keep people safe and tackle crime effectively, I have very little choice but to ask residents how much more they would be willing to contribute towards policing and that position is reflected in the way this year’s survey questions are written.

The survey is brief, and your response will help ensure decisions reflect the views of our communities across Dorset.

You can take part by completing the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PreceptDA

Thank you for your time and for helping to shape policing in Dorset.

David Sidwick

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner