Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), John Tizard has been told to “tell the truth” on what he can achieve with his new plan.
But the PCC says his plan needs more work and agreed he should be “called out” if he is seen to be overpromising.
On Tuesday (17 September) the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel gave the PCC feedback on his new Police and Crime Plan – “A safer and fairer Bedfordshire”.
There are six missions in the plan “which are underpinned by objectives”, and the Panel was told that these will evolve over the period of the plan.
The PCC said he referred to the graphic setting out his six missions as a “cheesecake. We are doing this [plan] in two stages,” the PCC said.
“The first stage of the plan is in effect the foundation plan that takes us from October of this year to March of next year, which gives us an opportunity to set a baseline.
“[And] it enables us to do considerable more work in terms of consultation and engagement with partners.
“So there’s a lot more work we’re going to be doing to get an even more comprehensive plan, with real outcomes to measure, in place for the next three years.”
Holding up a copy of the Plan, cllr Gareth Mackey (Central Bedfordshire Council) said: “It’s lovely, it’s glossy, all looks good, there’s a Labour government in charge, we’re all happy.
“Here comes the but, I think we need to be very, very, clear on what we actually hope to achieve. Without understanding the resources that are going to be able to be devoted to actually tackling this, your cheesecake.
“If that [centre piece] ‘Safer and fairer Bedfordshire’ falls out it becomes a doughnut glazed with broken promises and tears.
“We in the modern age are living under unprecedented demand for local policing and what you hope to achieve, from a very low baseline, will need funding that just is not going to be there.
“Tell us the truth, tell us what you can achieve, be honest with us on the finance and the five-year medium term financial plan,” cllr Mackey said. “Because we know that there are significant problems coming.
“Be honest with us, what can you achieve with the funding you have?”
Commissioner Tizard said: “I hope I’m going to be honest, if I’m not honest you need to call me out.
“That’s why I want to do a lot more work on the plan that takes us over the three years from next April. We have to demonstrate in that plan where the resources are coming from.
“There are things you can do in terms of improving productivity by using technology. There are areas where we can do more collaboration as well. If we can have prevention then we’ll have less demand on services.
“If we can get less reoffending, if we can get better systems, over time we will free up money. If I appear to be just being very glossy and overpromising please call me out, because that’s not what I aim to do,” he said.
Cllr Mackey said: “[I’ll] just remind the commissioner of the very laconic response. If.”
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
