More police officers, a better response to rural crime and improved road safety - just some of the aims Derbyshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster says the force is expected to deliver. 

It comes as she has published her budget proposals for policing Derbyshire in 2022-23 to enable the strong local policing focus that the public have asked for. 

A spokesperson for the Derbyshire PCC says the budget is designed to provide Chief Constable Rachel Swann with the resources needed to deliver the improvements people expect and deserve.

They added that the Commissioner has made it clear that she will scrutinise progress very closely to ensure investment in frontline policing and value for money. 

The Commissioner's proposed budget has been set at £212.26 million for 2022-23. This includes a 4.1 per cent increase in the portion of the council tax that goes towards policing, equating to 19p a week for a Band D property. 

Commissioner Angelique Foster said: "My Police and Crime Plan has set the agenda for policing Derbyshire and Derby. It is based entirely on local residents’ views. They, like me, want to see strong local policing across every neighbourhood in the county. My budget has been developed to provide the Chief Constable with the resources to deliver on that expectation. 

“The small increase in the police precept is essential to these improvements, which is why I welcome the opportunity provided by the Government to put local priorities front and centre of service delivery. I have made it clear that locally raised funding will be invested in meeting local priorities. 

“My budget will help boost police officer numbers, put additional resources into improving road safety; drive reductions in burglary and anti-social behaviour; provide a more robust policing response for rural communities; and enable investment to improve the 101 and 999 call handling response."

She continued: “Amongst other service improvements, I expect to see a strong response to tackling knife crime and safeguarding women and girls. There will be anti-social behaviour co-ordinators, PCSO recruitment will continue and they will now be trained in crime prevention. We will benefit from covert vehicles strengthening the road policing unit and communities will see new or improved neighbourhood bases. 

“My Police and Crime Plan is designed to secure the strong local policing we all want to see in Derbyshire and highlights the improvements that are required to achieve this. Investing in our police force will help to continue the fight against crime and bring more criminals to justice. It will not only help create a safer city, but also safer towns and villages throughout Derbyshire, where communities can flourish and businesses can grow and prosper.” 

The Commissioner was due to present her budget to the Police and Crime Panel at a meeting on Thursday (27 January). 

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