Latest police ‘gimmick’ is under attack
A SENIOR politician and member of Northamptonshire’s Police Authority has criticised plans to introduce directly- elected police commissioners, calling the idea a waste of money and a “gimmick”.
The Coalition Government has outlined plans to replace the existing police authorities with directly-elected commissioners, with public elections proposed as early as 2012.
Commissioners will be able to hire and fire chief constables, as well as set out the force’s budget and strategic plans. However, the idea came under fire from leading police chiefs earlier this week, when one expressed concerns about the “dangers” of newly-elected commissioners taking decisions to the detriment of other police services.
County councillor Brendan Glynane, the Liberal Democrat leader of the opposition at Northamptonshire County Council, yesterday slammed the plans, saying the proposal was a “gimmick”.
Councillor Glynane (Lib Dem, Delapre) who is also a member of Northamptonshire’s Police Authority, claimed the plans would cost Northamptonshire tax payers £750,000.
He was due to meet the Local Government Association this week where he will raise his concerns.
Councillor Glynane said “Why fix something that isn’t broken? The police performance has been improving, yet here we are, wasting three quarter of a million pounds which could be diverted to front-line policing. To get a scale of this, £750,000 is enough money to employ 43 police officers for a year.
“Given the size of the financial black hole left by the last Labour Government, we need to spend every penny of public money wisely. Bobbies on the beat are much more important to the public. That’s where the money should go. Northamptonshire Liberal Democrats want to give our police the resources to tackle crime, rather than gimmicks.”
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willi eckaslyke
Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 11:14 AMSuggestion: Offer Sir Alan Sugar the position of Commissioner for a NATIONAL police force
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