Facts:
- South Wales's Police & Crime Commissioner Emma Wools was elected at a turnout of just 16.58% last year.
- Unfortunately, SWP's statistics show increases in violent crime continuing.
- The policing precept your household pays is included in calculating Council Tax though varies independently of what's decided by local county councils.
- +7.37pc exceeds existing inflation at a time if persistent pressures on cost-of-living. Home Office settlements stand at a lot lower rate of just +3.7pc, contrastingly.
- Moreover, Welsh Government cash contributions fell by around 20pc over five years leaving others to take up such shortfall e.g. numbers of PCSOs dropping down 23pc.
The PCC might justify hikes however under-resourcing won't magically get resolved by burdening households like this, and apparent overtures of safer streets feel hollow if not noticing officers patrolling publicly. I've concrete concerns over how effectively this tax on residents translates to improvements in outcomes (whether prevention or catching criminals.) I'm alarmed at knife crime rising rapidly, against a national situation which doesn't follow this trend. I'd urge Welsh Ministers push UK Labour counterparts within Westminster on more funding – not devolving more powers – because between 2010-2024 Conservative-led UK Government policing numbers rose 8.2pc though this growth has now fallen flat!
