Members of the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel have supported the Commissioner's proposed precept increase of 7.75%.

During the panel's first meeting in 2023, held on Friday January 27, members discussed the precept and scrutinised Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn's budget plans for the coming year.

The panel is made up of members nominated by the four councils, in the force area, plus two independent members and has the power to approve or veto the proposed police precept.

Local policing is funded by a Home Office grant, as well as contributions from the public via the Council Tax, known as the police precept.

The precept accounts for approximately 50% of the total revenue available to the Commissioner. Combined with Home Office and Welsh Government funding this will provide the police budget for 2023/24.

The increase, which equates to a rise of £22.49 per year for a Band D property will raise a total of £72.518 million from residents in across the Dyfed Powys region.

Most of the budget is spent on staffing costs, predominantly those of warranted police officers, of which Dyfed Powys Police currently has a force of over 1,300 such officers. The force is projected to generate an underspend of approximately £800,000 against its planned budget for 2022/2023, due to efficiency measures already being implemented.

The current precept level in Dyfed-Powys remains the lowest in Wales.

We are still waiting on the final decision of Powys County Council, but if their proposed rise of 5% is agreed then residents will see the following changes in their total council tax bill: