The Derbyshire Police and Crime Panel was scheduled to consider a report from the Police and Crime Commissioner regarding the proposed policing precept for 2026/27. The meeting agenda also included announcements from the Police and Crime Commissioner and a discussion of forthcoming events.

Proposed Policing Precept for 2026/27

A significant item scheduled for discussion was the proposed policing precept for 2026/27. The report from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire outlined a proposal to increase the police precept by £15 per annum for a Band D property. This proposed increase is in accordance with the duty under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.

The report detailed that the provisional local government finance settlement, issued on 17 December 2025, provided flexibility for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to raise the police precept by up to £15 per annum for a Band D property in 2026/27. The Home Secretary had published the provisional police grant report, setting out proposed aggregate amounts of grants for 2026/27, totalling £19.5 billion nationally.

The Police and Crime Commissioner, Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts, had examined the proposed budget with her senior team and received a report from the Chief Constable, Rachel Swann, on the required funding for 2026/27. A public consultation on the proposals ran from 22 October 2025 to 11 January 2026, attracting 2,312 responses, with 72.9% of council taxpayers who expressed an opinion supporting an increase of £15 or more. The Commissioner made the decision on 12 January 2026 to approve the Revenue Budget and the indicative proposed precept for 2026/27.

The report recommended that the Police and Crime Panel review the proposed policing precept for 2026/27 and support the decision of the PCC for a Band D property increase of £15 per annum. The Chief Constable's letter to the Commissioner highlighted significant financial pressures facing Derbyshire Constabulary, including the impact of pay awards, inflation, and insufficient central government investment. The letter stated that the force had found over £10 million in efficiencies in the past three years, but further savings were becoming increasingly difficult to achieve without impacting police staff numbers. The proposed increase of £15 per annum for a Band D property was presented as necessary to balance the budget for 2026/27, despite significant savings measures already being implemented.

The report also included a Medium-Term Financial Forecast for 2026/27 to 2030/31, which indicated future budget deficits beyond 2026/27, suggesting that reserves alone would not be sufficient to close these gaps. This necessitates the identification of further efficiencies and savings.

Announcements from the Police and Crime Commissioner

The Police and Crime Commissioner was scheduled to make announcements, which included the launch of the public consultation on proposals for the policing part of the Council Tax precept for 2026/27. The initiative Safer Summer Streets had concluded, and the government was launching a Safer Winter Streets initiative. Additionally, the Don't Risk the Drive Campaign was to be highlighted, a county-wide campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of drink driving, including a partnership with local drinks brands to promote 0% alcohol options.

Forthcoming Events

An oral update was scheduled regarding forthcoming events. This included mention of the National Conference, which was to be held online on 27 November 2025.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The Panel was also scheduled to confirm the non-exempt minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 November 2025. The minutes from that meeting indicated that discussions had included a finance update report covering revenue and capital outturn for 2024/25, budget monitoring for 2025/26, and the Medium-Term Financial Plan. The Panel had also received an update on the PCC's strategic priority of 'Bringing Offenders to Justice' and had reviewed the outcome of the statutory review of the Derbyshire Police and Crime Plan 2024-2029. The draft Annual Report for 2024-25 was presented, and arrangements for the PCC's maternity period were noted.

The meeting was scheduled to conclude with the confirmation of the date of the next meeting, which was set for 19 March 2026.