PCC sets out local policing budget focused on protecting communities and property despite Government under-funding
Matthew Barber’s spending plans for Thames Valley Police will keep Council Tax rise to just 29p per week for a Band D household
Matthew Barber, Police & Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, has today outlined his local policing budget for 2026/27.
In setting his local policing budget, Matthew Barber said: “My priorities for Thames Valley Police are to cut crime and catch criminals. As your Police and Crime Commissioner, it is my responsibility to ensure that Thames Valley Police has sufficient resources to effectively prevent and investigate crime, support victims and protect communities.
“Setting the policing budget remains a complex process of balancing priorities and this budget has been particularly difficult.
“Last month, the Government announced the police funding settlement which for Thames Valley Police was £9m less than expected. The funding from central Government barely covers the costs of inflation and pay increases and, in a further announcement just days before setting the budget, the Home Office made clear that they would only fund around 40% of the cost of new officers. This puts more pressure on local taxpayers and will impact the health of the force’s finances in the long term.”
The budget for Thames Valley Police will be £622m, with almost half of that funding having to be provided by local council taxpayers. The increase of £15 a year in Council Tax (based on a Band D property) will provide essential funding to enable Thames Valley Police to continue to deliver the best service possible to its communities.
“I am acutely aware of the financial pressures households are under, however due to this challenging economic environment, I have made the decision to increase Council Tax contributions by 29p per week for a Band D property. This increase will ensure the force can maintain policing levels, keep communities safe and address the policing priorities of residents identified through my ongoing local crime survey.
“The force continues to make productivity and efficiency improvements in order to balance the local policing budget, with £15m of savings delivered over the last year with a further £16m of savings planned over the coming four years.
“Despite these financial pressures, I am determined that our local police force will continue to grow to support our community.
“Thames Valley Police will deliver 53 more neighbourhood police officers this coming year – on top of the 218 extra officers delivered in the last three years.
“This will be alongside the launch of a dedicated Roads Policing Unit Tasking Team that will work to make our roads safer by bearing down on dangerous and illegal drivers who put others at risk on our roads.
“Through last year’s budget, we have seen a number of improvements including the use of AI-powered technology to offer help, support, advice, and guidance to members of the public via the Thames Valley Police website.
“Residents rightly expect an exceptional service from Thames Valley Police, and my role is to ensure that this year’s policing budget can deliver this by addressing local concerns and priorities and achieving value for money for taxpayers.”
Chief Constable Jason Hogg commented: “The Council Tax precept provides essential additional funding at a time when national police funding remains challenging. However, this investment is not guaranteed, and policing continues to face significant cost pressures and difficult choices as we work to balance our budget responsibly.
“We will continue to identify new ways to improve productivity and efficiency, including through innovation and tech-led policing. By maximising the impact of every pound invested, we can focus our resources where they have the greatest impact for our communities.
“I am grateful to our officers, staff and volunteers for their continued professionalism and commitment as we deliver significant force savings. Their dedication ensures we remain focused on building trust, protecting our communities, fighting crime and supporting victims.”
Over 4,800 residents responded to the ongoing local crime survey (4 January 2025 to 2 January 2026) to help shape the budget priorities.
The budget will be presented to the Police and Crime Panel on Friday 23rd January before being finalised.
Notes to Editors
Proposed Council Tax bands for 2026/27 are as follows:
| Band | 2026/27 £ | Band | 2026/27 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 198.85 | E | 364.56 |
| B | 232.00 | F | 430.85 |
| C | 265.14 | G | 497.13 |
| D | 298.28 | H | 596.56 |
Participants were asked ‘If council tax increases, which areas would you most like to see your contribution used for?’ The following table demonstrates which areas were selected the most times:
| Area you would like to see your contribution used for | Amount of times selected by respondents |
|---|---|
| Neighbourhood Policing – increase uniformed visibility in the community | 3,019 |
| Crime Prevention – work at community level to support local efforts to reduce neighbourhood crimes | 2,479 |
| Drug Offences – disrupt drug markets and county lines | 2,476 |
| Road Safety – roads policing (tackling drink/drug driving and speeding), improve ways for residents to send evidence of dangerous driving such as dash cam footage, community speedwatch | 2,417 |
| Response times – Improve response times and meet increased demand for policing service | 2,335 |
| Police Investigation – improve the quality of police investigations with better outcomes and improved satisfaction amongst victims | 2,330 |
| Safety of women and girls – specific investment to tackle violence against women and girls | 2,225 |
| Serious and Organised Crime – ensure the police force has the necessary resources to respond to serious and organised crime threats (firearms, drugs, child criminal exploitation, fraud, economic crime, cyber, modern slavery and human trafficking) | 2,201 |
| Business Crime (including shoplifting) – more work with local businesses such as providing targeted crime prevention advice. | 2,070 |
| Reporting crime – make it easier to report crime on 101 or online and enhance call handling capacity | 1,955 |
| Fraud/Online crime – cyber-crime and digital investigation capabilities | 1,938 |
| Technology – modern technology to enable front line policing to respond more efficiently and effectively to crime and to calls for help | 1,884 |
| Victims Services – increased support for victims of personal and high harm crimes such as rape and sexual assault | 1,761 |
| Rural Crime – work to understand and respond to the specific needs of rural communities | 1,723 |
| Counter Terrorism – more activity to pursue, prevent, protect and prepare for counter terrorism incidents. | 1,669 |
| Special Constabulary/police volunteers – providing better equipment and enhanced training and support for Citizens in Policing | 1,602 |
| Hate Crime – prevention work and encouraging / supporting the reporting of all forms of hate crime | 1,549 |
| Police buildings – buildings and equipment to ensure they are fit for purpose | 1,473 |
For further information about the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan or finances, visit www.thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk.
For further details about the Police & Crime Panel meeting, visit https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-and-safety/thames-valley-police-and-crime-panel/.
