PEOPLE are being asked if they want to pay more to fight crime in East Yorkshire.
Humberside police and crime commissioner Matthew Grove is asking if people would be willing to pay an extra two per cent on their council tax precept or if they would prefer to see it frozen.
Mr Grove has launched a six-week consultation after launching the first draft of his police and crime plan, which sets out his priorities for the next five years.
He will canvass public views before publishing his final plan, which will confirm details of the budget, in March.
Mr Grove said: "The essence of my vision for policing and crime is simple. It is to put the public and victims of crime at the centre of everything I do.
"I need to understand the needs of the public and the victims of crime.
"I am acutely aware of the economic austerity facing local people, so I am determined to do this in a way that ensures taxpayers' money is spent wisely.
"I will expect to be judged at the next election in May 2016 on whether these outcomes have been achieved or, given their long-term focus, their proximity to being achieved."
The 21-page draft plan outlines his priorities as cutting crime and improving community safety, protecting the public from serious harm and ensuring a first-class service to victims.
Mr Grove said his three priorities will be underpinned by more specific objectives, including reducing violent crime, improving visibility and accessibility and reducing people repeatedly becoming victims of crime.
He wants better use of restorative justice and to focus on reducing things that drive offending, including drug and alcohol use and mental health issues.
"I want to engineer a change that will see a better balance between the preventative and reactive approach to tackling crime.
"This will require me to work across agencies and local authority boundaries and require a greater emphasis on the causes, rather than the symptoms, of crime and antisocial behaviour.
"There is also an increasing need to strike the right balance between the rehabilitation of offenders, through techniques such as restorative justice, community sentences, prison education, and the punishment of offenders.
"I am determined to confront the issue of reoffending with senior leaders, victims and the public."
There is no mention in the plan of Mr Grove's flagship campaign pledge to bill drunken criminals for the police time they use.
However, it does include proposals for more special constables – another of his main pledges – and sharing buildings with other organisations to save money.
He said: "There will never be enough police officers to prevent every crime and police every street corner, which is why I want the normal citizen to be motivated to call the emergency services or provide information to their local neighbourhood team and to be willing to give evidence in court to secure a prosecution.
"There are lots of things citizens can do to become more active with the police to help tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. This includes joining a neighbourhood watch group, becoming a special constable or volunteering."
Visit www.humberside-pcc. gov.uk to view the plan and give feedback. The consultation is open until February 28.
