Police commissioners

 

It would now seem that the election of police commissioners to replace watch committees  was a mistake as 16 of the 41 have elected cronies or close friends on salaries ranging from £45,000 to £64,000. In Northampsonshire  the conservative elected commissioner has elected 17 staff including four assistant commissioners. He is also planing three new offices each with staff of under ten to help fight drug crime. Other commissioners on salaries of £75,000 have also elected friends and people with no experience, many of these positions were not advertised. This at a time when police forces are having their budgets reduced or capped. Many of these forces have been told to find savings of £2.4 billion by 2015, yet these deputies salaries will be in the region of £458,000, again this at a time when police officers are being made redundant. This just goes to show that these elected officials have not got their priorities correct. These salaries will come out of their police budgets. Again this goes to show that these people were thinking only about themselves when the put themselves forward not the job. This at a time when less that 20% of the population voted. If these people were elected to keep an eye on the police then who as Juvenal said  "quis custodiet ipsos custodes" who will guard the guards themselves There is one thing for sure these elected people are basically corrupt and  more appropriately today as it is sometimes translated into,"who watches the watchmen."