Time for fair funding for Leicestershire Police
Calls have been made for fair funding for Leicestershire Police. The call comes from local Liberal Democrats after figures reveal that residents in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland are being shortchanged in police funding to the tune of £20 million in funding from the government.
Lib Dem Cllr Michael Mullaney Executive member for Community Safety in Hinckley and Bosworth said "People want more police on local streets. Sadly the Conservative government is shortchanging residents in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland by £20 million. If our area's Police was funded the same as the national average we would have £20 million extra to spend putting more police on local streets. Sadly this underfunding of our Police service is yet another example of how this Conservative government puts Leicestershire to the back of the queue.
" Because we are not properly funded by government it means that to get more police officers locally the Police Crime Commissioner intends to raise Council Tax by 6.43% or £15.
"This is really unfair for residents. Many people are struggling financially during the Covid pandemic. Hitting them with this tax rise when they are likely to be hit by big Council Tax rises from the County Council because the County Council is the worst funded County by the Tory government in the country is really unfair.
"It's time the Tory government delivered fair funding for Leicestershire Police so that we can have the extra police officers we need without expecting people to pay big council tax rises in this difficult time"
Dr James Moore Liberal Democrat Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for Leicestershire added "Our area is caught between a Conservative government that has underfunded our police and a Labour Police Commissioner who is hiking up our local taxes by more than 6%. In a time when many have been made redundant and others fear for their jobs, this is not the time for large rises in council tax."
"While millions of pounds are wasted nationally on the bureaucracy of police commissioners and their political advisers, police services around the country are short of funds. Liberal Democrats would scrap these political posts and put the money saved into front-line policing."
"It is time for fair funding for Leicestershire and Rutland police. Our area has once again been short changed by the Conservatives who take our votes from granted. In May voters will be able to have their say on their neglect of our area and punish those who are pushing for more council tax rises."