Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts has published details of her budget for 2026-27, including the amount of council tax local residents will pay towards policing and community safety.
The Commissioner will present her plans to members of Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Panel at its meeting on 21 January.
With a budget designed to protect frontline policing and maintain vital services for local communities despite unprecedented financial pressures, the Commissioner, alongside Chief Constable Rachel Swann, will present the proposals to the Police and Crime Panel on 21 January, recommending a £15 annual increase (£1.25 per month) in the policing precept for a Band D property. This increase is essential to balance the budget and avoid deeper cuts that would harm the service Derbyshire residents rely on.
Today (15 January 2026), the Commissioner said she is grateful to all the local residents who overwhelmingly supported the increase of £1.25 a month or more in support of local policing in her recent budget consultation. Just shy of 73% of respondents said they were prepared to pay an extra £1.25 a month.
“The public’s strong support for this increase highlights their understanding of the financial challenge we face, alongside the importance and desire to feel safe in their homes and neighbourhoods. While we welcome some additional funding from the government, external pressures such as inflation are putting the quality of services at risk.
“By March 2027 significant savings of over £25m will have been delivered since 2023, but after doing all we can to protect as many jobs as possible over the years, the situation has now reached the point where police staff numbers are affected. As part of the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we will continue to increase Police Officers, PCSOs and Special Constables as and when they release the next tranche of funding, ringfenced to deliver visible police presence in our communities. Of the roughly 1500 current police staff posts held at the Constabulary, we are seeing the loss of 80 posts. Without this increase, the position would be far worse,” she explained.
The Commissioner’s budget report explains that the increase is necessary to deliver a balanced budget that protects services, maintains improvements and enable the ongoing delivery of her Police and Crime Plan, to tackle the priorities set by local residents. These priorities include neighbourhood policing and anti-social behaviour, tackling serious violence (including violence against women and girls), addressing the scourge of drug dealing and substance misuse, alongside bringing offenders to justice and supporting victims.
Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts said: “I recognise that many households are facing tough financial challenges at the moment. However, we simply could not deliver a balanced budget without a £1.25 a month increase. I have a responsibility to balance finance with community safety, and I would not be doing my job if I put services at deeper risk.
“The Chief Constable and I remain committed to protecting the service provided and avoid job losses where possible.
“Policing’s annual government funding settlements have long made it difficult to plan ahead with confidence, provide long‑term stability and shield our officers and staff from continual organisational change. That uncertainty is never easy.
“Yet despite these pressures – both locally and nationally – I want to extend my personal thanks to the dedicated and hardworking people who serve our residents day in and day out. They consistently do their best with the resources available, frequently going above and beyond to keep people safe.
“The events of last summer, when the force had eight different murder investigations over an eight-week period, highlight the need to both protect the frontline and maintain investigative capacity.
“Thanks to their commitment, and the support of our partners who work tirelessly to prevent harm, tackle crime and help victims, crime fell by 5% (4773 less recorded crimes) in 2024/25 compared with 2023/24.
“Welcome progress, such as the call handling improvements and the 24% reduction in ASB in hotspot areas have been welcomed by the public we are here to serve. It’s what they asked us to do.
“I know that the force and my own team have, with the support of Derbyshire residents, worked diligently to create a budget designed to provide a service that works effectively to keep communities safe.”
The budget proposals show a Net Revenue Budget Requirement of £254,329,023, a 4.5% increase in net expenditure over 2025/26. The Government has provided a grant of £166.5m, however, with the loss of a £1.7m one-off additional grant for the 2025/26 pay award, the increase in Government Grant support reduces to £3.8m (2.3%). The remaining £106.4m comes through the police precept, which, for a Band D property will increase by 5.11% to £308.60 for the coming year.
