LETTER: Crime commissioners appointing highly-paid staff

That is the good news.

The bad news is our recently elected Labour Police and Crime Commissioner wants a 2% increase in his bill. Mind you, I suppose this is understandable if he is treading the same beat as some of his fellow PCCs.

For example, a fifth of the newly created crime tsars are appointing staff to help them develop and implement policies. Some have handed out jobs to people from their campaign teams, fellow party members and former colleagues without even advertising them, although one has at least advertised for a “dynamic thinking team” including a head of policy, performance and communications and a head of commissioning and partnerships, each on salaries up to £73,500 a year.

None of these posts existed under the previous system for governing forces or even mentioned in the manifestos, so why are they necessary now?

Only time will tell whether or not the PCCs and their bloated teams of advisors will reduce crime, but what is immediately obvious is that some have wasted no time in digging their snouts deep into the taxpayers’ trough.

D. WALKER

Barrowford