100 jobs set to go at Hertfordshire Constabulary

HERTFORDSHIRE Constabulary is set to shed around 100 jobs this year in a bid to save cash, it has been revealed.

Setting its budget for 2010/11, Hertfordshire Police Authority announced today (Wednesday) that it would be increasing its share of the council tax by 3.5 per cent – much less than the 15 per cent increase that had originally been proposed.

It means residents living in a Band D property will now pay �147.82 for policing this year, an increase of �5.

Announcing the budget, HPA chairman Stuart Nagler said the authority was facing “unprecedented financial pressures” as it sought to maintain neighbourhood police teams at their current levels for another year.

“We thought long and hard before making our decision, and weighed up the need to maintain the high standards of policing, which the public tell us they expect, with the need to limit the financial burden we place on our residents,” Mr Nagler said.

“Even with an increase of 3.5 per cent in council tax and the use of �630,000 from reserves, we will still have to make cuts.”

Despite pledging to keep redundancies to a mimimum, the Constabulary conceded that around 100 are expected to lose their jobs this year.

Chief constable Frank Whiteley said: “This settlement will allow Hertfordshire Constabulary to sustain its high levels of performance over the next year, as well as increasing its contribution to fighting serious, organised crime in the Eastern region.

“This is despite the loss of about 100 staff posts necessitated by this budget.”