Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (Commissioner), David Allen, approved the Policing Budget for 2026-27 at his Public Accountability Conference.
In the current financial year, the Constabulary are increasing the number of Community Beat Officers from 58 to 84 and adding 16 more PCSOs to the Neighbourhood Policing Teams. This has provided more opportunity to reduce anti-social behaviour in key hotspots, carry out targeted operations on rural crime, and strengthen relationships between officers and the public.
The budget allows the Chief Constable to continue to deliver the best service possible to the public. The Policing precept, which is paid via council tax, will rise by £14.94 (£1.25 per month) for a Band D property will help protect the delivery of neighbourhood policing and ensure the service is maintained.
Commissioner David Allen said: “I believe that Cumbria deserves strong public services that protect our communities and keep us safe, and we should never do public safety on the cheap.
“The Constabulary is continuing to improve, despite the challenging financial position, including the delivery of more visible policing – something that is continually raised with me by the public.
“As well as additional Officers and PSCOs, we have also seen: more visible patrols in rural and market town centres; successful joint operations that disrupted serious organised crime and taking out drug dealers across Cumbria; new technology that helps officers spend more time on patrol and less time on paperwork; more support for victims, with specialist support for victims of domestic abuse.
“To maintain these improvements, they need a budget that allows them to do so.
“I have overseen the reduction of the budget deficit from £16m to £11m and I will continue to ensure further savings are achieved so that every penny is spent in delivering the police service the county deserves. I have already matched the required savings within my own office, ensuring reductions that do not touch frontline policing.
“It’s always a difficult decision to raise council tax. However, the increase of £14.94 for the year means that we can continue to deliver neighbourhood policing, tackling criminality and keeping the public safe. Without this rise, cuts would have been unavoidable.
“My role is to be the voice of the public on Policing, including the budget, which is why I have put in place processes to hold the Chief Constable and Constabulary to account in how they spend taxpayers money. This is to ensure the money is placed in the areas the public wish to see prioritised and I will make sure that this scrutiny and challenge continues to be provided on behalf of the residents of Cumbria.”
Temporary Chief Constable Darren Martland, Cumbria Constabulary, said: “Cumbria Constabulary remains firmly committed to delivering a high‑quality service to our communities.
“This budget gives us the ability to maintain our strong performance and continue meeting the standards our communities rightly expect of us.
“We will provide a visible and accessible police service that works with our partners and communities to prevent crime, protect the public, and bring offenders to justice.”
Those interested in the budget breakdown for Policing, can find the information on the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner website.
If you wish to report to police you can do so online at Report a crime | Cumbria Police. You can also phone on 101. Always phone 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress.