Budget Consultation

08th January 2026 

Have your say on Kent Police funding – consultation closes soon

Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Scott, is asking residents to share their views on how Kent Police is funded and the services they value most. Rising costs mean tough decisions ahead, and your feedback will help shape plans for the year ahead.

Currently, 57% of Kent Police’s funding comes from central government and 43% from the local council tax precept. In 2010, 72% of funding came from Government and 28% the local council tax precept.

The Government has given PCCs the flexibility to increase the council tax precept by up to £15 per year for a Band D property in 2026/27. That’s about £1.25 per month and this increase would help maintain current levels of service. Without it, Kent Police would be required to make further cuts, on top of those that will already be required.

Matthew Scott said:

“My priority is to make sure Kent Police has the resources to cut crime, support victims and build trust. We’ve made progress. Crime is falling and more officers are on our streets but rising costs and a lack of support from government mean we must look carefully at how we fund policing.

I want to hear directly from the people of Kent about what matters most to them, which priorities they believe should come first and whether people feel the current balance of funding between central government and local council tax is fair and sustainable.”

Please share your views on the police budget, by clicking here.

The consultation has been running since 18th December and closes late next week. To date, 541 responses have already been received.

ENDS