Money spent on Bedfordshire police and crime commissioner would pay for 52 new PCSOs say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrat Party has claimed that the costs to run Bedfordshire’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) would be “better invested” in community policing.

But Ian Dalgarno, deputy police and crime commissioner for Bedfordshire, said the OPCC “represents exceptionally good value” for taxpayers’ money.

The Lib Dems said a Freedom of Information request revealed that OPCC running costs for the 2022/2023 financial year, including staff salaries, were £1,210,233.

They said this was an increase of 13 per cent on the previous year, adding the Government has taken 67 of Bedfordshire’s community police officers (PCSOs) off the streets since 2015, leaving 37.

The Lib Dems claimed that the £1.2 million OPCC running costs would cover the annual salary of 52 Bedfordshire PCSOs.

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael MP, said: “I am shocked by this complete waste of taxpayers money whilst bobbies on the beat are cut and crimes go unsolved.

“The Conservatives are pumping resources into the Conservative crime commissioner’s office instead of hiring more community officers.

“The Conservative commissioner needs to come out and explain why it costs over £1 million to run his office.

“With so many crimes going unsolved, this seems like a slap in the face to local residents.

“We need a return to proper community policing. That starts with reversing the savage cuts of officer numbers in Bedfordshire and an end to pencil pushing commissioners who have failed local people,” he said.

Ian Dalgarno, deputy police and crime commissioner for Bedfordshire, said: “Police and crime commissioners were brought in by the coalition government, in which Alistair Carmichael served as a minister.

“It is incumbent upon the senior team in the OPCC to make sure that it is providing cost effective services, including this year not taking the planned budget growth for the OPCC in favour of diverting it back into front line policing.

“That is the kind of leadership I and the commissioner expect.

“The OPCC has a duty to deliver these statutory functions brought in by the coalition government and has successfully led bids to bring record levels of funding into Bedfordshire to support victims of crime, as well as carrying out prevention and intervention schemes to help keep our communities safe.

“This year this funding is worth around £5.5 million.

“Bedfordshire now has more police officers than ever, while at less than one per cent of the overall staff funding for policing in Bedfordshire, the OPCC represents exceptionally good value for taxpayers’ money.”