Police and Crime Commissioner welcomes approval of £18.49 Precept for 2026/27

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Humberside, Jonathan Evison, today welcomed the decision of the Humberside Police and Crime Panel to approve the 2026/27 policing precept, confirming an increase of £18.49 (or 6.3%) on a Band D property.

This approval follows extensive public consultation and an exceptional financial year in which delays to the national Police Finance Settlement created significant uncertainty.

The draft settlement was not announced until 18 December 2025, and the final requirements relating to Police Uplift and the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee were only received on 28 January 2026.

Strong Public Engagement and Support

The PCC highlighted the record levels of public engagement in this year’s precept consultation. The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) utilised My Community Alert’s survey module for the first time, leading to a substantial increase in responses:

• 1,796 total responses, compared with 668 last year.

• Strong support for a rise: 88% were in favour of some increase, with 51% supporting an increase of £14.99 or above.

• Responses were received from all areas across the Humber region.

• Top priority issues identified included burglary, drug-related crime, knife crime, dangerous driving, and violence against women and girls.

• 47.5% preferred retaining a publicly elected PCC for local accountability.

The Commissioner thanked the public for their engagement and confirmed that their priorities will continue to shape local policing, investment decisions, and scrutiny activity.

Exceptional Precept Approval

During the consultation period, the Home Office launched an exceptional precept scheme, enabling forces to apply to increase the precept beyond the usual £15 threshold without triggering a local referendum.

Recognising the financial pressures in Humberside and the requirement to maintain frontline officer numbers, the PCC applied for an exceptional increase. The Home Office approved an uplift of £18.50, enabling the Commissioner to propose, and the Panel to approve, a precept level of £18.49 for a Band D property for 2026/27.

The PCC stated:

“I welcome the Panel’s approval of this coming year’s precept, which is essential to maintaining the frontline resources our communities rely upon. This funding will help ensure a financially sustainable policing model, protect neighbourhood policing, and allow us to continue investing in the areas the public told us matter most”.