THE body in charge of Hampshire Constabulary has this week approved a 2007/ 08 budget demanding the maximum increase on taxpayers. Hampshire Police Authority adopted a recommendation by its finance committee to increase the force's portion of council tax by 4.9 per cent (the highest allowed), to £125.37 for an average Band D household. In return, residents can expect to see 84 more police officers patrolling the streets, in addition to the recruitment of 307 new Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) which has already begun. Locally, Inspector Simon Dodds believes there will be immediate impact on front-line policing resources in Alton. He told The Herald: "There was an early indication that this year's budget was going to be cut, and this was taken into consideration when we restructured the district in August last year. I am confident therefore that there will be no immediate impact on the front line policing resources in Alton." He added: "We have the benefit of a response capability working from the station, and with seven police constables and seven Police Community Support Workers covering the five neighbourhoods which make up the Alton sector, I feel we remain in a strong position to deliver on neighbourhood policing over the forthcoming year." Putting in context the proposed budget, adopted by a meeting of the full HPA on Tuesday, a police spokesman described it as "an increase of less than 12 pence per week for improved policing".
