Crime commissioner praised in House of Commons by Fareham MP over use of police funding

MP Suella Braverman praised commissioner Donna Jones, saying: ‘I am very pleased that the excellent police and crime commissioner in Hampshire, Donna Jones, has made very good use of the funding flexibility that I brought into force very recently by raising the precept.’

The home secretary went on to mention the Safer Streets funding the commissioner has used in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight, together with the work of her new Violence Reduction Unit, stating her budget plan ‘will mean more police, less crime and safer streets in Hampshire.’

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The comments come after the government announced the Police Finance Settlement in the autumn of 2022 which provided £246.9m for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary (HIOWC).

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Panel then supported the commissioner’s proposal to increase the council tax for Band D properties by £15 in order to fund 50 more police officers in addition to the 600 she already committed to in her Police and Crime Plan.

Speaking on the issue, Ms Jones said: ‘Increasing police numbers and improving police visibility have been my top priorities since being elected in May 2021. I have ensured and will continue to ensure, Hampshire and Isle of Wight gets the best funding deals from the Home Office to invest in crime prevention initiatives which make streets safer, in addition to my ultimate goal of increasing police numbers.’