RESIDENTS across Essex are set to pay almost 6% more for policing from April.

A meeting of the Police, Fire & Crime Panel voted for the increase, which is the equivalent of £14.94 a year - or 29p a week - for a Band D property.

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said recurring costs continued to go up and the force relied "disproportionately on the good people of Essex for our funding".

At the meeting, it was agreed the police precept would rise by 5.74%, raising an additional £11.95m from its share of council tax.

Despute that, balancing the books means that more than 100 staff across the force could lose their jobs.

Expressing gratitude to the county's taxpayers, CC Harrington pledged that Essex Police would continue to work harder to cut crime, protect victims and put more criminals behind bars.

"Despite being the ninth‑largest force in the country, we receive just 2.25 per cent of national funding while representing 2.5 per cent of national policing. You don't have to be a genius to work out that we lose out by around 10 per cent each time funds are awarded.

"We note the proposals regarding future police reform, but my focus remains firmly on protecting the people of Essex now and in the year ahead.

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"While we have received £21.1 million more from central government, our unavoidable recurring costs — such as paying our highly skilled officers and staff, utility bills and kennelling costs — continue to rise and currently stand at £22.9 million.

"Additionally, we are moving 39 officers into neighbourhood policing, which is absolutely the right thing to do for the people of Essex. However, this creates further cost pressures and savings requirements elsewhere.

"I am grateful for the funding we receive, not least from the people of this great county who consistently support us. But it is important that I am clear about our financial position and the challenges we continue to face.

"We have made millions of pounds of savings over the past decade and are currently making difficult decisions that no Chief Constable wants to make.

"More than 100 dedicated, professional and loyal police staff are currently under consultation. They are the backbone of policing in Essex, but we have had to make tough choices to maintain our progress in cutting crime and antisocial behaviour while balancing the books.

"My promise to the people of Essex is this: we will continue to strengthen and invest in neighbourhood policing; we will keep cutting crime and work harder to prevent it in the first place; we will continue locking up criminals; and protecting victims and delivering justice for our communities will remain at the heart of everything we do."

The Police Federation, which represents officers, has criticised Essex Police for its cost-saving proposals.

Police Federation of England and Wales Acting National Chair Tiff Lynch said: "The announcement by Essex Police of savage cuts landing directly in the pay packet of underpaid police officers and the intention to add to already unsustainable workloads by making the force's PCSOs redundant is a recipe for catastrophe and raises grave concern for public safety and for the wellbeing of officers across England and Wales if other forces follow.

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"I fear we are about to see a domino effect of other forces finding cuts by targeting rank and file officers and the effect on morale, the numbers of dedicated officers who see no financial sense in staying in the job and the ability to recruit is stark.

"This is utterly unsustainable and will mean police officers taking more risk for less money when their pay packet today is already worth a fifth less than in 2009."

In 2025, the force says it solved 2,700 more crimes than the previous year and increased the number of charges brought by 12 per cent.