Police in appeal over budget caps

The risk of capping means investment in some operations could be delayed

Surrey Police Authority has submitted an appeal against a government threat to cap its policing budget for 2008/09.

Surrey was one of seven police authorities to be threatened with a budget cap for forcing council tax rises beyond the government's limit.

The authority had agreed plans to hike its share of the council tax up by 6.7% on last year, bringing the total budget for the county's police up to £209.6m.

Chairman Jim Smith said the budget was needed in order to serve the county.

'Protective operations'

"Our first duty is to ensure that the people of Surrey are served by a police force that is appropriately funded to meet its responsibilities now and in future.

"We feel that the budget increase we propose for the first year of our three-year plan is necessary to fund important protective operations, safeguard neighbourhood policing and protect the county from the growing threats posed by terrorism and cross-border criminality from the capital and surrounding areas.

"We hope that the government recognises the importance of these priorities, that our plan commits us to below 5% increases in the subsequent two years and that it retracts the threat of capping."

Dr Sue Martin, chief executive of the authority, added that residents had consistently said they were prepared to pay more for their policing.

She said the cap would only mean the average Band D council tax payer would be £3.84 better off, or 32p per month.