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

Proposed Police Precept for 2026/27

A significant item scheduled for discussion was the proposed police precept for the 2026/27 financial year. 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 decision was made 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 national policing settlement for 2026/27 was set at £19.5 billion.

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, outlining the required funding for 2026/27. A public consultation on the proposed precept ran from 22 October 2025 to 11 January 2026, attracting 2,312 responses. The findings indicated strong support for an increase, with 72.9% of council taxpayers who expressed an opinion supporting an increase of £15 or more, and 64.8% backing an increase of £20 or more.

The report highlighted significant financial pressures facing Derbyshire Constabulary, including the impact of pay awards, inflation, and insufficient central government investment. The Chief Constable's letter to the Commissioner detailed a business case for additional funding, noting that the force had found over £10 million in efficiencies from non-staff costs over the past three years, but that further savings in this area were limited. The report indicated that the force had reduced police staff numbers by 80 (5.2%) to meet funding gaps.

The report also included a Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for 2026/27 to 2030/31, which projected future budget deficits beyond 2026/27, indicating that reserves alone would not be sufficient to close these gaps. 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 report also detailed the proposed Revenue Budget Requirement for 2026/27, which was £254,329,023, a 4.5% increase over 2025/26. This increase was largely attributed to pay and inflation adjustments. The report outlined the workforce strength, with a proposed total of 3,694.2 full-time equivalent posts. Significant savings of £5.643 million were identified through measures such as a Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS) and Force Service Reviews.

The proposed budget for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for 2026/27 was £7.674 million, while the proposed budget for the Chief Constable was £246.655 million. The report also detailed the proposed capital programme for 2025/26 to 2030/31, amounting to £120.073 million, to be funded through grants, reserves, external borrowing, and direct revenue financing.

The report included an assurance statement from the Chief Constable's Chief Financial Officer and the Police and Crime Commissioner's Chief Financial Officer regarding the robustness of estimates and the adequacy of reserves. The total projected reserves as of 31 March 2026 were £17 million.

Announcements from the Police and Crime Commissioner

The agenda indicated that the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) would provide announcements. Based on the report pack, these announcements were likely to include an update on the public consultation for the policing part of the Council Tax precept for 2026/27, which was live. The PCC was also expected to mention the Safer Winter Streets initiative, following the end of the Safer Summer Streets initiative, and the launch of the 'Don't Risk the Drive Campaign'.

Forthcoming Events

The Panel was scheduled to receive an oral update on forthcoming events. The report pack mentioned that the National Conference would be held online on 27 November 2025, with details of the link to be circulated.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The Panel was scheduled to confirm the non-exempt minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 2025. The minutes from that meeting, which were provided, showed that the Panel had noted a finance update report, received an update on the strategic priority of 'Bringing Offenders to Justice', reviewed the Derbyshire Police and Crime Plan 2024-2029, and considered the Police and Crime Commissioner's Annual Report 2024-25. The minutes also recorded that the Panel had noted written responses to member questions and been updated on arrangements for the PCC's maternity period.