MEMBERS of the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel have supported the commissioner’s proposed precept increase of five per cent.

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn outlined his budget plans to members at the panel’s January meeting.

The precept would contribute £49.8m to the Dyfed Powys Police budget, which – combined with central and local funding – would provide a £99.1m budget for 2018/19 (a 2.57 per cent increase in funding).

If agreed, it will mean an average band D property will pay £224.56 towards policing – around £10 more than last year.

Members had the opportunity to hear first-hand about the investments the commissioner was planning to make.

They include £16,000 to cover the running costs of CCTV and £222,000 extra for the Digital Cyber Crime Unit, Financial Crime Team and CID.

Funding has been set aside to introduce an apprenticeship scheme and to support maintenance across the force’s estate.

Budgets have also been increased to support work in relation to youth offending and community safety.

And a pilot custody triage project will take place at Haverfordwest to signpost vulnerable offenders, something that could eventually be rolled out force-wide.

Cllr Keith Evans, a member from the Ceredigion council area, said: “We are seeing an improvement in performance. We are making in-roads to what we want and expect as a paying public. However I am mindful that an increased precept will have an impact on people.”

Chair of the Panel, Cllr Alun Lloyd Jones, thanked the commissioner for his comprehensive report before a unanimous vote of support for the proposed precept.

The Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel is made of up of members nominated by the four councils in the force area: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys; and at least two independent members. Carmarthenshire County Council is the lead authority for the panel.

The meetings are open to the press and public, and with the prior permission of the chair, people can ask questions or make a statement in relation to a matter being considered by the panel, with the exception of personnel matters.

Questions can also be submitted to the panel either in writing or via the website contact form.

Information about the panel, agendas, meeting dates, membership and news is available online at http://www.dppoliceandcrimepanel.org.uk/