TAXPAYERS in Oxfordshire have to pay more for their police because of government cuts.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley Anthony Stansfeld yesterday agreed to recommend that the precept for policing goes up by 1.99 per cent for the second year in a row.

This means Thames Valley Police will take more than £138m from the public across Thames Valley in 2015-16.

From April, households in Band D will pay £163.70 a year to help pay for the force, an increase of £3.19 a year.

The council tax every Oxfordshire household pays is divided between the police, the district or city council and Oxfordshire County Council.

The force’s proposal is to raise its share by 1.99 per cent – the maximum it can before it needs to call a referendum.

The county council will also raise its tax by the same amount and Oxford City Council will raise its by 1.5 per cent.

West Oxfordshire and Cherwell District Councils have proposed to freeze their taxes.

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils’ decisions on whether they will increase their taxes are due next month.

Council tax pays for 36 per cent of TVP’s costs and the rest comes from government grants.

Mr Stansfeld will recommend the proposal to the Police and Crime Panel and said he “fully expects” the panel to approve it.

He said: “I have the support of the panel.

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“It’s the price of a pint of beer in a year. It is not massive.

“A lot of other forces claim an awful lot more from the public than TVP.”

Out of all police forces in England TVP claims the 13th-largest proportion of funding from the public. Surrey is the most at 49 per cent and Northumbria the least at 12 per cent.

Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: “There is a very clear need for money in 2015-16.

“It was a very bleak picture painted in the Autumn Statement because of the government’s desire to cut spending.

“We’re getting fewer grants than expected because they say they can’t cover the costs.”

But she said the tax increase, along with cuts from within the force, mean the police can take grant cuts without affecting services to the public.

In November the force announced it was cutting 187 police officer posts and 16 in April.

Ms Thornton said: “I am absolutely clear that this budget does protect frontline staff for 2015-16.”

But the outlook for 2016-17 and 2017-18 does not look good with a shortfall of at least £21.86m.

Ms Thornton said: “It has to be recognised that this task is becoming increasingly more challenging and complex.”

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