Senior Conservative councillors on Rushcliffe Borough Council have called for Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden to give Rushcliffe its fair share of funding for police officers in the Rushcliffe area.
Cllr Jonathan Wheeler represented the Council at the Police and Crime Panel on 2 February, where the Police and Crime Commissioner set out his proposal for a 5.1% increase a year in the policing precept, and Cllr Wheeler asked why Rushcliffe is not getting its fair share of funding.
He pointed out to PCC Gary Godden that Rushcliffe neighbourhood teams are currently staffed at around 66% of their expected policing numbers and, on top of that, officers are being pulled away to cover other commitments such as football matches, response cover and the night-time economy, instead of dealing with neighbourhood policing.
This is despite Rushcliffe residents paying a much higher proportion of the overall policing precept compared with most neighbouring councils. Cllr Wheeler also asked for assurances that Rushcliffe would get extra resources if he were to vote for a rise in the precept.
PCC Gary Godden did not dispute the shortage in numbers and said he would take the point on board, discuss it with the Chief Constable, and review the level of abstractions. He also gave his assurance that he would look to address this.
Cllr Wheeler spoke after the meeting of his disappointment at the lack of assurance on police numbers and funding:
“I did not ask for an officer on every street corner and police cars going around all day; I was realistic and asked for our fair share. I want officer numbers at the levels we are supposed to have at the very least, and this assurance was not given. That is why I voted against the increase in the precept, even when the Labour, Independent and Reform members voted for it.”
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Cllr Rob Inglis is the Cabinet Member responsible for policing at Rushcliffe Borough Council and outlined the work he has done to make the case for more resources:
“As an ex-Notts police officer myself, with many years’ experience working in Rushcliffe, I understand the concerns and expectations of our residents and rural communities from regular engagement. I also know the pressures that police officers in Rushcliffe are facing and their frustrations at not having the capacity to maintain a 100% focus on tackling our local issues.
“I have raised this with the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Chief Constable and senior officers many times, but the responses have not been positive.
“I want our residents to know that I will keep the pressure on to get the support for our police officers to have their allocated numbers and to keep our community safe.”
