Have Your Say: Funding for Policing and Fire Services in Essex 2027/28
Each year, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for Essex sets a local precept – the portion of your council tax that helps fund Essex Police and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.
We’re asking for your views on how much you would be prepared to pay in 2027/28 to support these vital services.
Over the past year, Essex Police and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service have continued to face growing demand and financial pressures.
Despite this, since the high point of recorded crime in 2019, crime in Essex has fallen by 16.5%. Since 2019 knife crime has reduced by 24%. Since 2016 anti-social behaviour has dropped by two-thirds, significantly more in key hotspot areas. Homicide rates have been reduced by two-thirds since 2016 and incidents of burglary have more than halved. These improvements have been made possible through continued investment in frontline officers, neighbourhood policing and targeted prevention work, investment which was made possible by your support.
However, Essex remains one of the lowest-funded areas in the country for policing on a per-person basis. Rising costs, inflation and national funding shortfalls mean that local funding through the precept is more important than ever to maintain current service levels and keep reducing crime.
Since 2019, fire-related injuries have fallen by 13.6% and accidental house fires by 13.3%, as Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has continued to focus on prevention, partnership working and community safety across our county. In 2024/25, the Service attended nearly 17,000 incidents – a 19% increase compared to 2019 – reflecting how the service has responded to a wider range of emergencies and strengthened its partnership with the health service.
This progress comes at a time of financial pressure and increasing costs. Tough choices also had to made in setting the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service precept 2026/27. The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement has resulted in ECFRS having a £3.3m cash reduction in funding over the three-year settlement period. The reduction for 2027/28 is £1.2m, placing significant financial pressure on the Service. Through careful financial management, frontline services have been protected and the focus on keeping people safe maintained.
Last year, the policing precept increased by £14.94 (around 28p a week) and the fire precept by £4.95 (around 9p a week) for a Band D property. These increases helped avoid cuts to frontline services.
As we plan for 2027/28, we want to hear your views. Our ambition is to continue to reduce crime, build safe communities and reduce the level of harm from fire, road traffic collisions and other threats to public safety.
Your feedback will help shape how best to balance investment in public safety with the financial pressures many households are facing.
Roger Hirst
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex
All responses from this survey will be collated and summarised as part of the final report. Individual people will not be identified, and your name will not be mentioned in any reports that we write for this purpose. You don’t have to take part if you do not want to - this is a voluntary activity.
