I was surprised the other day to be invited to participate in YouGov survey on the topic of a 24per cent hike in the Surrey Police portion of council tax.
Apparently this level of increase is judged necessary to maintain current levels of police staffing within the county and, without it, police numbers may have to be cut.
Whilst my personal view is that a reduction in staffing would make no discernible difference in the public perception of police activities - at least in the Epsom area - my main concern is that none of this has so far reached the public domain.
I have written to the Police and Crime Commissioner and the reply from his office is that the Commissioner has embarked on a consultation process of which the YouGov survey is a part, to assess whether the expense of a referendum can be justified.
I may be jumping the gun but it seems to me that, rather than the highly selective and expensive YouGov process, the use of our widely-read Epsom Guardian supplemented by leafleting would have provided a cheaper, broader-based feedback and a better appreciation of whether the public is prepared to accept the extra expense of some 95 pence a week for a D-band property.
That would be a further £50 a year per household for the police in addition to the inevitable further cash grab by the county and borough councils.
Sometimes, (Mr Commissioner,) it is better to be open with the public from the outset rather than through the use of a commercial polling organisation.
David Patrick
Larkspur Way
Epsom
- Send your letters to: letters@epsomguardian.co.uk
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