Complaints against officers

[Fedster + 1,307]

Michael Lane's deputy quit just after just three weeks over 'professional differences

Flick Drummond and Michael Lane

A job advert for a £60k assistant commissioner posted weeks after drastic cuts to the force's dog, roads and support units were announced have been branded a “kick in the teeth” for locals.

In October former Tory MP Flick Drummond left her role as Hampshire deputy police and crime commissioner three weeks after starting the new job.

A joint statement with PCC Michael Lane said it was "not possible [for them] to build a professional relationship".

Mr Lane said he was disappointed the pair had not developed as close  a rapport as hoped.

Mrs Drummond was formally confirmed in the £64,000-a-year post, on October 6.

This week Mr Lane’s office confirmed he is advertising for an assistant commissioner to find “innovative solutions to improve effectiveness and efficiency.”

An advert for the job on Indeed.com offers a £53,358-£60,057 per year, two year contract for the “unique and influential role” as a principle advisor to the PCC on criminal justice.

Candidates are asked for post-graduate qualifications, an extensive network of MoJ, courts and prisons contacts and a recent background working with partners in the criminal justice system.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of the news the joint Hampshire-Thames Valley Police dog unit is facing dramatic cuts as are the roads policing and force support units.

A joint statement from both forces said the plans had been made in December, despite a series of tweets from TVP PCC Anthony Stansfeld on January 23 saying no firm decisions had yet been made on the dog and mounted units.

Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South said: “I’ve already called on the police and crime commissioner to use money set aside in his budget to invest in frontline policing in Portsmouth.

"With police officer numbers falling yet crime rising, that’s what the people of Portsmouth deserve. 

“This latest announcement is a kick in the teeth for these communities suffering from increasing crime in our area.

“It is high time Mr Lane starts listening, and most importantly, starts taking action to tackle concerns and rebuild our community’s confidence”.

A spokesman for the PCC’s office stated: “At the last Hampshire Police and Crime Panel meeting in January 2018 panel members recognised the demands on the Police and Crime Commissioner and advocated the need for additional support.

“The Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner will support the integration of commissioned services, freeing officers for front line duties.

“The post holder will lead the focus on Criminal Justice for the PCC, and ensure that the needs of victims and witnesses are at the heart of policing and the criminal justice system.  It will drive partnership working across the Criminal Justice System and identify innovative solutions that will improve effectiveness and efficiency.”

At the meeting in January the panel voted against Mr Lane’s plans to budget £440,000 for extra office staff.

The motion was proposed by independent panel member Bob Purkiss MBE.

He said at the meeting: “We don’t support the recommendation as outlined in the report before us and ask for our concerns and those of the public to be taken into account and any increase in any funding is put directly and only in retaining and enhancing police officers and staff.”

In March Hampshire Police Federation called a vote of no confidence in Mr Lane.

A spokesman for Mr Lane told Police Oracle the role is entirely separate to deputy police and crime commissioner with a focus on criminal justice and she is unaware of plans to recruit a replacement deputy.  

Cleveland, Cumbria, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire and Dyfed-Powys PCCs are paid a salary of £65,000 per year. 

View On Police Oracle

[cookyy2k 536]

No big surprise that once you let politicians run the police the budget suddenly becomes an empire building fund rather than being used for the purpose of actually delivering what they're supposed to.

[Mac7 808]

The PCC will no doubt state that the salary will be paid for out of a separate budget and therefore is not dividing funds away from operational policing. However, to me and many others, will see it as being part of the policing budget as a whole.

I still do not know what the PCC’s and their entourage do and what effect they have had on policing. All I know is they spend ludicrous amounts of money. The PCC’s office within my force costs more than double what the authority costs.

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

They manage to accrue a staff around them which is, in many cases, is unbelievable.  The last I heard was that the Cheshire PCC had over 40 staff members. Perhaps someone knows how many the Hampshire PCC has.

[cookyy2k 536]

1 hour ago, Zulu 22 said:

They manage to accrue a staff around them which is, in many cases, is unbelievable.  The last I heard was that the Cheshire PCC had over 40 staff members. Perhaps someone knows how many the Hampshire PCC has.

I can't find the info on total but I did find this FOI request relating to the "Estate Change Programme" in 2015 for which 28 people were employed directly and between 2012 and 2015 had spent £2.5 million on consultants.

[Radman + 2,163]

1 hour ago, cookyy2k said:

I can't find the info on total but I did find this FOI request relating to the "Estate Change Programme" in 2015 for which 28 people were employed directly and between 2012 and 2015 had spent £2.5 million on consultants.

It's enough to make you sick.

All of that money wasted.

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

It is hardly unreasonable for a PCC to have a deputy and £60k doesn’t seem like a lot of money.

 

By way of comparison, the ‘Chief Executive’ of the Office of the Nottinghamshire PCC (Kevin Dennis) gets paid £95k and then gets pension contributions on top.

 

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

It's enough to make you sick.
All of that money wasted.

How was it wasted?

[Radman + 2,163]

3 hours ago, Reasonable Man said:

How was it wasted?

Because before the adoption of PCCs that money would have been spent elsewhere. 

I'm glad BTP kept it's police authority an all around cheaper model of Policing and arguably far more representative of the community the police serve.

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

Because before the adoption of PCCs that money would have been spent elsewhere. 
I'm glad BTP kept it's police authority an all around cheaper model of Policing and arguably far more representative of the community the police serve.

Yes- it would have been spent on Police Authorities.

Unless there is a meaningful comparisons as to whether a PCC and their entourage costs significantly more than it is hard to have a meaningful conversation.

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

Yes- it would have been spent on Police Authorities.

Unless there is a meaningful comparisons as to whether a PCC and their entourage costs significantly more than it is hard to have a meaningful conversation.

And PCCs do more than the Police Authorities used to do.
But I doubt if those who just want to complain about PCCs and don't know what they really do will disagree with that.

[donatello + 287]

There is some very interesting stuff on this PCC, the federation recently ran a survey and 98% of the respondents had no confidence in him. The chair of Hampshire fed was blocked from speaking at the latest police and crime panel meeting.

It seems like there is some interesting stuff going on with him, not least that he wants to cut 160 police officer roles but have £440k worth of staff for his own office. A few links from local news websites

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/hampshire-police-officers-vote-no-confidence-in-crime-commissioner-1-8457801

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/hampshire-police-federation-not-allowed-to-speak-at-meeting-with-crime-commissioner-1-8457343

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/under-pressure-police-panel-members-vow-to-keep-eye-on-hampshire-crime-commissioner-1-8351358

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16079349.Police_chief_asks_officers_if_commissioner_is_the_right_man_for_the_job/

[Radman + 2,163]

9 hours ago, Reasonable Man said:

And PCCs do more than the Police Authorities used to do.
But I doubt if those who just want to complain about PCCs and don't know what they really do will disagree with that.

We manage fine with our PA and I'm glad we kept ours.

PCCs were a gimmick brought in to furter politicise the police service - again far less representative of their communities than the old PAs so much so this point was even raised by Liberty during a debate on the PCCs introduction.

But hey if you think 14% voter turnout to PCC elections is some kind of success story and demonstrates their validity then fine, that is your opinion, it certainly isn't one I share.

[Hyphen + 693]

3 hours ago, Radman said:

We manage fine with our PA and I'm glad we kept ours.

PCCs were a gimmick brought in to furter politicise the police service - again far less representative of their communities than the old PAs so much so this point was even raised by Liberty during a debate on the PCCs introduction.

But hey if you think 14% voter turnout to PCC elections is some kind of success story and demonstrates their validity then fine, that is your opinion, it certainly isn't one I share.

The whole thing is a joke and shows that this government haven’t got a clue what they are talking about.

Police authorities were a better idea, made up from the various areas within the force and far more accountable especially when setting local priorities.

[cookyy2k 536]

8 hours ago, Radman said:

PCCs were a gimmick brought in to furter politicise the police service

Exactly this, it was the political class creating more high paid positions for the political class. 

Edited April 16, 2018 by cookyy2k