THAMES Valley’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, has set out the local policing budget for 2026-2027.
The new budget is focused on protecting communities and property despite what Mr Barber describes as ‘government under-funding.’
Among the spending plans for Thames Valley Police is a Council Tax rise by 29p per week for Band D households.
The budget for Thames Valley Police will be £622m, with almost half of that funding having to be provided by local council taxpayers.
The commissioner has said that the increase of £15 a year in Council Tax (based on a Band D property) will provide funding to enable Thames Valley Police to continue to deliver the best service possible to its communities.
Mr Barber said: “My priorities for Thames Valley Police are to cut crime and catch criminals. As your Police and Crime Commissioner, it is my responsibility to ensure that Thames Valley Police has sufficient resources to effectively prevent and investigate crime, support victims and protect communities.
“Setting the policing budget remains a complex process of balancing priorities and this budget has been particularly difficult.
He explained: “Last month, the Government announced the police funding settlement which for Thames Valley Police was £9m less than expected.
“The funding from central Government barely covers the costs of inflation and pay increases and, in a further announcement just days before setting the budget, the Home Office made clear that they would only fund around 40% of the cost of new officers.
“This puts more pressure on local taxpayers and will impact the health of the force’s finances in the long term.”
“I am acutely aware of the financial pressures households are under, however due to this challenging economic environment, I have made the decision to increase Council Tax contributions.”
He said that the increase will ensure the force can maintain policing levels, keep communities safe and address the policing priorities of residents identified through the ongoing local crime survey.
He continued: “The force continues to make productivity and efficiency improvements in order to balance the local policing budget, with £15m of savings delivered over the last year with a further £18.4m of savings planned over the coming four years.
“Despite these financial pressures, I am determined that our local police force will continue to grow to support our community.
“Thames Valley Police will deliver 53 more neighbourhood police officers this coming year – on top of the 218 extra officers delivered in the last three years.”
It would also come alongside the launch of a dedicated Roads Policing Unit Tasking Team, working to make roads safer through its focus dangerous and illegal drivers.
“Through last year’s budget, we have seen a number of improvements including the use of AI-powered technology to offer help, support, advice, and guidance to members of the public via the Thames Valley Police website.
“Residents rightly expect an exceptional service from Thames Valley Police, and my role is to ensure that this year’s policing budget can deliver this by addressing local concerns and priorities and achieving value for money for taxpayers.”
Chief Constable Jason Hogg said: “The Council Tax precept provides essential additional funding at a time when national police funding remains challenging–however, this investment is not guaranteed, and policing continues to face significant cost pressures and difficult choices as we work to balance our budget responsibly.
“We will continue to identify new ways to improve productivity and efficiency, including through innovation and tech-led policing.
“By maximising the impact of every pound invested, we can focus our resources where they have the greatest impact for our communities.
“I am grateful to our officers, staff and volunteers for their continued professionalism and commitment as we deliver significant force savings. Their dedication ensures we remain focused on building trust, protecting our communities, fighting crime and supporting victims.”
Over 4,800 residents responded to the ongoing local crime survey in the past 12 months to help shape the budget priorities.
The budget will be presented to the Police and Crime Panel on Friday, January 23, before being finalised.
