Scrap 'unnecessary' police admin roles to bolster frontline, Tories say

They have lined up a number of posts for the axe – including the £60,000-a-year deputy police and crime commissioner role – as part of plans to trim "top heavy bureaucracy" in West Midlands Police.

It comes after the force was accused of wasting taxpayers' money after it advertised for a new £74,000-a-year 'fairness and belonging director'.

The Tory plan centres around the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner, led since 2014 by Labour PCC David Jamieson, which has 53 staff at a cost of £1.8 million a year.

As well as canning the deputy role – a political appointment currently held by disgraced former Walsall councillor Waheed Saleem – the £412,000-a-year strategic police and crime board would go.

Other senior roles would be reviewed, including that of deputy chief executive, which currently commands a salary of £97,000.

Jay Singh-Sohal, the Conservative candidate for PCC, has pledged to focus on "more police, less politics" if he is elected in May.

"We will soon have an opportunity to elect a new PCC who will invest in frontline policing ahead of his own multi-million pound office in Lloyd House, and I am the only one committed to cutting politics and bureaucracy in order to invest into tackling rising crime," he said.

"Residents, who already feel deeply disconnected with both policing and the commissioner, will expect nothing short of change, and I have a plan to bring the strong leadership and focus needed to make people feel safer and more secure."

Mr Jamieson, who is standing down in May, has regularly complained about his tight budget, saying the force has lost £175m over 10 years due to Government cuts.

Last June he went against his own crime panel to hand the deputy PCC role to Mr Saleem, who previously served a ban from holding public office for leaking sensitive information when he was a councillor.

James Morris, Conservative MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, accused Mr Jamieson of presiding over "years of waste and questionable spending decisions motivated by politics".

He said the Tories would bring "a sensible and responsible approach" to the role, "ensuring every penny is held accountable for tackling rising crime".

Meanwhile applications have now closed for the role of 'fairness and belonging director', which is being brought in to "oversee improved inclusive culture throughout the workplace".

The force has also advertised for an 'assistant director for talent and organisational effectiveness’ on £74,000-a-year.

Former PCC candidate Bill Etheridge, UKIP's economic spokesman, said: "For a police force will embarrassingly low detection rates – and a commissioner constantly bemoaning lack of funds – to advertise such a ludicrous politically correct role is an insult to the people of the West Midlands who are still reeling from the disgraceful police station closures he presided over."

Mr Jamieson, said there were "naturally" some inherent running costs associated with running the PCC’s office.

"I’m pleased that my office accounts for less than half a per cent of the total police budget in our region," he said.

"That means out of the 42 police and crime commissioner offices in the country, my office is comparably one of the very cheapest.

“When anybody gains real experience of an elected office they soon realise that having a good administration behind them is essential if they want to effectively oversee a large organisation like West Midlands Police."