The PCC is asking for a 2% increase in our police precept to make up the short funding from government. This works out at £2.08 for Band A up to £6.24 a year.

Would you pay (say less than £5 a year) to have private security patrol your area?

yeh i would, providing they were visible and/or local (ie could get here in <5-10 minutes if called as an emergency) rather than the likes of Heritage security who are never to be seen...

Yes I would too , but theyd have to be a damn side more reliable and better calibre than the wonderful G4S!!

I would definitely NOT pay. You have little control over who is selected to do this patrolling. It could easily be criminals which would make the matter worse.

Crime, anyway is falling dramatically across the western world, so it's not even necessary. You can find a discussion of this here, with some possible reasons for it. The one I like best is the abolition of Tetraethyl lead in petrol.

People are reluctant to believe this good news however. I think the press is responsible for this. A good crime story is a wonderful way of boosting sales. It is a sad thing that although you are safer now than you ever were, a lot of people, particularly old folk, are terrified to go out after dark and are virtually prisoners in their own homes.

Good timing, merseyside figures show sexual and violent crimes are on the increase.

I, like many others have experienced how the police suppress people from reporting crime so official figures are way less than reality.

There are more drugs around than ever before.

Security staff are vetted by their SIA certificate and if you employ them, of course you have control over who is employed. There is a difference between hiring security and hiring patrols.

Police reporting has changed. In two thirds of the violent offences, no injury was reported. Sexual crimes are reported more often by victims these days It is taken more seriously than it was. Also, its worth noting that the police - at a time of threatened cuts - are more likely to boost the figures rather than shrink them.

The crime survey in England and Wales shows a small (6%) decrease although its not statistically significant. This survey includes crime NOT reported to the police as well as those that are, and is generally considered a better measure of crime that that of the cops.

Private companies are likely to cut corners for financial gain, paying as little as possible and charging a bomb for it. The SIA is hardly much of a guarantee. It is handed out by the security industry itself and is voluntary.

A tv camera would probably be a better bet if you are worried. I HATE the idea of living in a gated community with guards vetting your every move, and doubt the legality of these patrols. Can they restrain people? I'd advise them not to. It could result in their being charged for assault. The whole idea is a very poor one.

SIA isn't voluntary, its a legal requirement and is regulated by the home office whilst being administered privately.

For Merseyside crime increased by 6.5% in the figures released in the last few days.

For Wirral it has gone up by 15% in the last twelve months (from 17461 offences to 20075).

Here are the Wirral figures up to Sept 2015

All other theft offences 1878
Bicycle theft 343
Criminal damage and arson 3717
Domestic burglary 1149
Drug offences 902
Fraud offences to 2012/13 0
Homicide 0
Miscellaneous crimes against society 299
Non-domestic burglary 1112
Possession of weapons offences 126
Public order offences 836
Robbery 153
Sexual offences 466
Shoplifting 2110
Theft from the person 162
Vehicle offences 2168
Violence with injury 2247
Violence without injury 2407

Erect an ISIS flag in your front garden and the police will watch your house 24/7.