“Irresponsible” PCC challenged

West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner has dismissed claims he announced the break-up of the alliance with Warwickshire “irresponsibly”.

John Campion was challenged over compensation his force may have to pay to its neighbour, but said it was “impossible to say” the amount.

He was speaking at a meeting of the 16-member Police and Crime Panel, set up to oversee his role and his work.

Councillor Kuldip Sahota, who was on the old Police Authority when the alliance formed, said it had saved West Mercia £35million since 2012, and warned breaking up could cost “hundreds and hundreds” of jobs.

Cllr Sahota asked Mr Campion about the “reasonable costs” West Mercia might pay to Warwickshire over the termination of the alliance.

Mr Campion said: “‘Reasonable costs’ in my mind are those associated with terminating the existing arrangement and that can’t be negated by a future arrangement.”

Cllr Sahota, a Labour member who represents Malinslee and Dawley Bank on Telford and Wrekin Council, asked: “What will it cost in numbers? £1million? Two? Five? Thirty-five?”

Mr Campion said: “It’s impossible to say what the figure will be at this stage.”
Cllr Sahota asked: “If no estimates have been made before he ending of that alliance, would you say this decision has been made responsibly?”

Mr Campion replied: “I will try not to take offence from the assertion that I would be acting ‘irresponsibly’, because I took an oath to act in the best interests of the community which I was duly elected to serve.

“Both the chief constable and I are of the opinion that the current arrangement is no longer in the efficiency and effectiveness (sic) of the community of West Mercia.”

Cllr Sahota pointed out he was a member of the then Police Authority when West Mercia originally entered into the alliance in 2012, and added: “We said that we would save something like £35million in this working collaboration with our neighbouring police area,

“Now we’re walking away from that, this is going to cost us millions of pounds.

“If we lose £35million and a police officer costs around £50,000, we’re looking at hundreds and hundreds of police officers losing their jobs.”

The alliance began in the summer of 2012 and West Mercia’s inaugural PCC, Bill Longmore, took office in November that year and pledged to continue with it.

“That was them executing their lawful duty at the time,” said Conservative Mr Campion, who was elected in 2017 with 60% of the run-off vote.

“The chief constable and I are doing the same now,” he added.

“Life has changed in six years. Policing has changed. The pressures on police and society are different.”

John Campion and Chief Constable Anthony Bangham left the door open for future collaboration with other forces, but argued the arrangement with Warwickshire – which will be wound up over the next year – was inefficient and unfair.