Surrey Police Authority (SPA) has submitted its appeal against the Government's threat to cap its budget, claiming Surrey's residents are willing to pay a 9.7 per cent increase in council tax to ensure they are better protected.
The police have warned that capping the increase at 5 per cent will dramatically decrease their budget, threatening frontline services and key policing strategies.
Dr Sue Martin, SPA Chief Executive said: "Local people have told us consistently over the years that they are prepared to pay more for their policing, rather than settle for a reduced standard of service.
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"If we are capped, we would be returning just £3.84 a year to a Band D householder - and yet this money will make a real difference to Surrey Police's ability to meet new challenges from cross-border crime and terrorism."
She said the authority were reluctant to seek the necessary additional police funding from the council tax payer, but the Government's funding formula left them with no choice.
The formula does not take into account the criminal threat from outside the county. Surrey Police say this is unfair because almost half of crime in Surrey is committed from criminals coming from outside its boarders.
SPA Chairman Jim Smith said the appeal was because the force's first duty was to ensure the people were served by a police force appropriately funded to meet its responsibilities now and in the future.
The police budget estimates only a 5 per cent increase in council tax in 2009 and 2010.
Surrey MAPS, including Esther and Walton MP Ian Tailor and Phillip Hammond, MP for Runnymede and Weybridge have written to the Department for Communities and Local Government asking them not to carry out the capping.
They say rebilling the tax payer would be madness because it would cost £600,000 when capping saves only £900,000.
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