West Midlands PCC Bob Jones plans council tax rise

[dutchman]

The West Midlands police and crime commissioner is planning to put up council tax precepts to get more officers onto the streets.



Bob Jones is proposing every household should pay an extra £3 a year which he said will raise £2m for the force.

He said: "Although it will cost people a few pounds more, it will release 100 more officers to frontline duties."

His proposals will be considered by the Police and Crime Panel at its meeting on 21 January.

He said he planned to use the money to recruit civilian staff to roles that were currently done filled by police officers but did not require police powers.

"It's the quickest and cheapest way we can get serving police officers into more operational duties and on to the streets of the West Midlands," he said.

Labour's Mr Jones said he had rejected the offer of a one-off 1% government grant in return for freezing the policing precept.

He also plans to take about £25m from the force's reserves to support projects such as new custody facilities.

[dutchman]

I wasn't aware they could arbitrarily raise Council Tax?

Unemployed people in Birmingham are already having to find an extra £10 a week to pay the tax, that's on top of any rent increase they'll have to pay as a result of cuts in housing benefit which could be as much as another £20 a week

[StevieG]

I am completely mystified with regard to Council Tax
The so called Government sez that Council Tax is not being raised this year BUT Councils are putting their rates up and this guy sez
he wants to increase them so what the hell is going on ?????????

[rebbonk]

The so called Government sez that Council Tax is not being raised this year BUT Councils are putting their rates up and this guy sez he wants to increase them so what the hell is going on ?????????

We are being stuffed yet again! And this will continue to happen whist we continue to roll over and play dead.

The rather rude acronym BOHICA is rather apt!

[dutchman]

West Midlands PCC Bob Jones criticised over staff plans

Plans by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner to spend almost £100,000 on employing six assistants have been criticised.

Bob Jones is appointing three assistant police crime commissioners and three non-executive members.

Matt Bennett, who was the Conservative candidate for the PCC post, claimed the new jobs were "wholly unnecessary".

The new staff will be £40,000 cheaper than the police authority they replace, Mr Jones said.

The three assistant police crime commissioners will work for 10 days a month and will be paid £22,500.

The three non executive members would work two days a month for a salary of £7,500.

Mr Bennett said there was already an established team of staff in place that Mr Jones inherited from the police authority including a chief executive and policy officers.

He said: "He already has a vast number of resources available to him and these roles are just another layer of bureaucracy.

"The Police and Crime Commissioner should be capable, with their deputy, of doing the job set out for them."

The West Midlands PCC office was unable to give a total of how many staff currently work for Mr Jones.

[dutchman]

Coventry to get its own crime commissioner

COVENTRY will have its own crime commissioner under plans unveiled by newly elected police boss Bob Jones.

He plans to appoint three assistant police and crime commissioners covering Coventry and Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton and Dudley and Sandwell.

They will join a strategic police and crime board that will include Mr Jones, his deputy Yvonne Mosquito and three non-executive members.

The cost of the eight-person board, including salaries, national insurance and pensions will be £291,895, just £40,000 less than the old West Midlands Police Authority which had 17 members.

It’s led to criticism from some quarters including former Conservative PCC candidate Matt Bennett.

He tweeted “W Mids PCC raising taxes and spending it on ‘assistant’ and ‘non-exec’ members. What do we pay him and his deputy for?”

He also predicted that two of the assistant commissioners would be Labour councillors.

Mr Jones has vowed that the application process for the three assistant commissioner roles will be “objective, fair and open”.

Mr Jones, who was elected in November, said: “I have said many times that a PCC working alone, or even with a deputy, is not the best way to effectively engage and represent all the diverse areas of the West Midlands.

“There need to be links to each area, to ensure that the police are efficient and effective, that the right strategic direction is in place, and that the chief constable is held to account.

“Effective decision making means having all the information and listening to a range of views, and the strategic policing and crime board will be key to delivery of my manifesto commitments.

“The board will cost around £40,000 less than the former police authority membership, reinforcing my manifesto commitment to keep the costs of the new arrangements below those of the police authority.”

The assistant police and crime commissioners will be paid £22,500 a year and will be expected to work up to 10 days a month – which works out at £187 a day.

Non-executive members are expected to work two days a month and will be paid £7,500 – an average of £312 a day.

According to the West Midlands PCC website new assistant police and crime commissioners will not be restricted by previous political affiliations.

For further application details go to the West Midlands PCC website.

Closing date for applications is January 28.

[rebbonk]

That £40k will very quickly be eroded and we'll be paying more.