The Police and Crime Commissioner is seeking the views

Dear residents,

The Police and Crime Commissioner is seeking the views of the county’s residents on her proposed precept - the part of the annual council tax bill which goes towards supporting policing services in Surrey.

Lisa Townsend, Police and Crime Commissioner said: "Surrey Police have made incredible strides over the last two years. Reports of residential burglaries and vehicle crimes are falling, arrests for shoplifting have risen by 465 per cent, and the overall charge rate has more than doubled in Surrey.

"We are asking whether residents would be prepared to pay a little extra so police teams can continue taking the fight to criminals in our communities."

 
Those who live or work in the county are now being invited to fill in a brief survey on whether they would support the Commissioner’s proposed increase of a little over £1 extra a month on an average council tax bill for 2026/27 to ensure that fantastic progress continues.

Have your say here.

The Government assumes in their police funding announcements that all Commissioners will increase to the maximum limit. The limit is yet to be announced, but it is anticipated it will likely be in line with last year at £14 for an average Band D property, which is what the Commissioner is basing this year’s survey on.

Lisa said: "Surrey Police remains one of the most poorly funded forces in the country. As a result, an increase in council tax is vital to give the Force the resources it needs to deliver the services residents depend on.

"Every pound raised through this tax amounts to an extra half-a-million pounds in the policing budget.  

“I vowed last year that the contributions Surrey residents make through their council tax would go towards what policing does best - fighting crime in our local communities, getting tough on offenders and protecting people.  

“The improvements we have seen have been nothing short of incredible. This has all been made possible by the contributions you, the Surrey public, make through your council tax.

“It is important to me to find out what Surrey residents think and whether they would be willing to pay a little extra to support our policing teams again this year. So I would ask everyone to take a minute to fill out our brief survey and give me their views.”  

Find out more on the Commissioner’s dedicated council tax webpage. You can also visit the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ page.

Kind regards

Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner