Only £3.32 for every family to save 101 service

12.00.00am GMT Thu 22nd Nov 2007

A Cardiff Council has challenged the South Wales Police Authority to fund the Single Non-emergency number (101) out of its own budget for next year.

Councillor Joseph Carter, a Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Cathays, asked the council's representative on the Police Authority whether the police authority would be able to fund the continuation of the 101 service after the Home Office withdraw their funding in February 2007.

Councillor Joseph Carter commented, "The Police Authority has a budget of £232 million, whilst the reported operating costs of the 101 service are £1.5 million. My calculations show that the project could be funded by a 2.5% increase in the police precept across South Wales, which would work out at an extra £3.32 a year for every band D household."

The 101 service has taken a lot of pressure of the emergency 999 service and allowed an extra 25 Police Officers to be redeployed to frontline emergency policing. The amount of time it has taken to remove abandoned vehicles has reduced and by co-ordinating council and police services together it has help to reduce anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Carter added, "£3.32 for every band D household is not a lot of money to pay for a service which has helped to cut crime in Cardiff. However in order to raise the money necessary to fund the 101 service the Labour-Plaid Government would have to guarantee not to cap the increase in the Police Precept at 5%.

"However if Labour are serious about cutting crime they would allow the police to raise the money to fund the 101 service."