Suffolk Police Authority has commissioned a telephone survey of 3,465 Suffolk residents to hear their views about the service they receive from Suffolk Constabulary.
The information collated in the Local Policing Survey, which is being carried out this month, will be taken into account when the newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner decides on the amount of council tax that Suffolk residents will pay next year.
This survey is being carried out now to gather up-to-date information to give the new Commissioner a better understanding of the public’s priorities as decisions are made on how policing in the county will be funded.
Questions posed in the survey will gauge the public’s views on levels of anti-social behaviour, the perception of crime, whether people feel safe in their community and whether they feel they get good value for money from the Constabulary.
A Police and Crime Commissioner will be elected by the public in November this year and the successful candidate will take up their role on November 22. They will be responsible for ensuring that policing in Suffolk is efficient and effective. They will also be responsible for all police funding; they will decide the budget, allocate funding and assets to the Chief Constable and determine the police element of council tax.
This year approximately two thirds of the policing budget comes from a Government grant and this will reduce by 20% by 2016. The rest of the budget is made up from council taxes; this is about 11.5% of a total council tax bill and amounts to £166.77 for a Band D property this year.
The Local Policing survey is also available to anyone living in the county who would like to take part; if you would like to take part in the survey please call 01473 782777 or e-mail spa@suffolk.pnn.police.uk.