The Taxpayers' Alliance has recently released financial information looking at the cost of funding Police and Crime Commissioners. On the face of it the figures were promising – the total cost to the taxpayer of maintaining the assorted PCCs was £2 million less than the equivalent cost of the Police Authorities which they replaced.
However, in spite of the lower overall cost there are a number of PCCs who are actually costing the taxpayer more than the Police Authority which they replaced. Here in Surrey, PCC Kevin Hurley costs us £651,351 more than the Police Authority at the time it was disbanded. This compares extremely badly with some areas such as Northumbria where the reduction in cost was around £3 million following the introduction of PCCs.
One may wonder where such considerable sums of money are spent, certainly Mr Hurley’s office is well staffed, a look at this organisational chart tells us that he retains no less than seven Advisors and Policy Officers and is currently advertising for an eighth. For a man who was elected on the basis of his strong and uncompromising beliefs, he appears to retain a lot of people whose role is to tell him what to think! In contrast the Home Secretary herself, who has overarching responsibility for all UK Police forces, operates with only three such advisors.
Sir Paul commented that “…in 2012 Kevin Hurley was elected on the back of a historically low turnout because he appeared to take the toughest line on criminal activity and presented himself as apolitical. It is perhaps rather ironic that someone who casts themselves in this image has rather openly and clumsily considered running to be Mayor of London – as the Conservative Candidate!
Furthermore his twitter friendly and headline grabbing approach to his job neatly veil a distinct lack of tangible achievements from his time in office. We will have an opportunity next year to elect a Conservative candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner and consign Mr Hurley to the footnotes of Surrey political history, I look forward to working with members in seizing that chance.”