Essex Crime Commissioner Rejects Tax Exemptions for Special Constables
The Essex Police Commissioner opposes council tax exemptions for special constables, citing fairness to taxpayers and lack of police support.
Essex, Southend, Special Constables, Council Tax, Police
Southend: Roger Hirst, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, has pushed back against a council motion that would exempt special constables from paying council tax. He believes it wouldn’t be fair to the taxpayers in Southend and that Essex Police doesn’t back the idea.
This motion, proposed by James Courtenay, the leader of the Conservative Group, was set to kick in this April. But during a cabinet meeting, Daniel Cowan, the council leader, pointed out that the PFCC is not on board with the motion. He mentioned that the chief constable won’t commit to where special constables might be sent.
Cowan emphasized that the resources from Southend’s council tax shouldn’t be used for deployments outside the area. They’re also looking into other options, like a community specials scheme, which would have the council cover all expenses, or even free bus travel for specials.
He added that the best route is to keep investing in their community safety unit, which aligns with the motion’s goals. More special constables in Southend is always a good thing, and they encourage anyone interested to get the training needed to serve.
Interestingly, the PFCC believes that a tax exemption wouldn’t help recruit more special constables; in fact, they think it could hurt recruitment efforts. Courtenay expressed disappointment, understanding the concerns about deployment but suggesting that Southend could consider an Essex-wide scheme, similar to those in London.
He urged the cabinet to think creatively about how to attract more special constables to Southend.