Criticism as increase in police costs to hit tax payers

A DECISION by North Yorkshire Police to increase its share of the council tax bill was met with strong criticism last night.

The North Yorkshire Police Authority set its annual policing budget for 2010/11 at 139.7m yesterday, meaning an increase of 2.7 per cent on the police precept. The tax rise means the average Band D property will pay 204.55 this year to the North Yorkshire Police Service.

Despite being lower than the three per cent rise initially planned, the decision has come under fire.

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Coun Ruth Potter, Labour's representative on North Yorkshire Police Authority, said: "At a time when everyone is being expected to tighten their belts, they should do the same.

"I'm concerned the Police Authority is not achieving greater accountability and is not setting a budget based on greater efficiency and effectiveness in policing."

Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough and a fierce critic of the North Yorkshire Police precept in the past, said: "Thankfully the days of massive increases of the precept are largely gone now but any rise over 2.5 per cent is a cause for concern. We have to recognise people are really struggling."

Police claim the precept will raise 61m from residents with 78.6m also being received from Government grants.

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Jane Kenyon, chairman of the North Yorkshire Police Authority, said: "We faced a difficult decision today. We know from the community consultation we have undertaken that residents could not sustain an increase above this level.

"This increase should allow us to continue developing Safer Neighbourhoods and sustain or even reduce further the current low levels of recorded crime and anti-social behaviour."