Labour MP calls for return of services amid Police tax hike

Mike Amesbury, Labour MP for Weaver Vale, spoke out after Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) John Dwyer put forward his proposals for an updated precept, with what Mr. Amesbury described as a “clear preference” for a 6.4% rise.

This would be the maximum allowable amount without the need for a referendum, equivalent to a £15 per year increase for a Band D property.

The Weaver Vale MP, whose constituency includes East Runcorn, said “I understand the force must deal with inflation, but Mr Dwyer, who represents the Tory party, is asking struggling Cheshire households to dig deep when those same forces are driving a cost-of-living crisis.

“If Mr Dwyer is determined to push through a 6.4% rise, then I call on him to reverse his cuts by reinstating the police station helpdesks he closed last year and restoring PCSO numbers.

“Many of my constituents are concluding that with a Conservative police commissioner they ‘pay more but get less’.”

In 2022 the PCC closed 11 police station helpdesks, including Runcorn and Northwich within Mr Amesbury’s constituency.

Northwich has been particularly affected by these cuts, with only a video facility now available.

The PCC, Mr Dwyer, also cut the number of public community support officers by almost 40.

Mr Amesbury went on to say, “I have real concerns about reference to an ‘estate strategy’, regarding the constabulary’s buildings, in reply to my recent letter seeking reassurances about the future of police stations on my patch.

The MP argues the PCC’s favoured 6.4% hike in the police precept, on the back of a 4.4% rise last year, represents a further shifting of the tax burden onto local taxpayers.

This trend features within the context of central Government police funding for 2023/24 increasing by just 1.8%.

John Dwyer responded to Mr Amesbury's claims saying: 

“People expect their police service to be contactable, responsive, and proactive in tackling crime. Cheshire Constabulary has the most officers it has ever had. The police are answering the phone faster and getting to incidents faster for both emergencies and non-emergencies. More criminals are being arrested, and in Cheshire we have the highest charge rate for crime in the country.

“In my budget survey which received over 4,000 responses – more than any previous consultation - 76% of respondents to a question about the police precept supported some form of rise. I am delighted to have that public backing in order to set a police budget that continues to protect our communities, following improved levels of service over the past year.

John Dwyer, PCC for Cheshire (Source: Cheshire Police) (Image: PR)

“The community policing model also remains in effect, with each of Cheshire’s 122 community areas continuing to be assigned its own dedicated police resource. I always encourage residents and elected representatives to contact me directly if they feel there are gaps in their local area.

“While I have an ambition for the Constabulary to become carbon neutral by 2040, this cannot come at the expense of effective community policing. I have made clear that before any proposed change to where a town’s local policing team is based, another police hub will be opened there to ensure a continued presence.

“I want people to see value for money from the precept they pay. My proposal will allow the Constabulary to maintain the improved service levels we have seen and at 6.4% -  below the rate of inflation – it acknowledges the cost of living. Disappointingly, my office can find no record of Mr Amesbury challenging the previous Labour Commissioner’s 13.6% precept rise for 2019/20, at a time when inflation was running at around 2%.

“I want to work constructively with all elected representatives, in good faith, to deliver the police service that the public of Cheshire expects. Residents can be reassured of my commitment to putting the safety of their communities and policing ahead of politics.”