Another Tory Police & Crime Commissioner has come to my attention this week. In the second of my ‘Spotlight’ articles my trusty beam goes over Offa’s Dyke and into Welsh Wales.
Firstly we have Mr Salmon’s astonishing claim to be recruiting extra Police Officers. In a move similar to that in North Yorkshire, Mr Salmon has been proclaiming 30 ‘extra’ officers for months;

“This year Dyfed-Powys has 30 extra police officers and they’re spending a lot more time on the beat.”

Extra – what does that mean?

“beyond or more than what is usual, expected, or necessary; additional”

So where have these ‘extra’ officers come from?  Well, I’m not entirely certain as the official Home Office stats don’t actually show an increase in establishment of 30 officers.

• September 2011 –    1,145
• September 2012 –    1,120
• March 2013 –            1,112
• September 2013 –    1,101
• March 2014 –            1,123
• September 2014 –    1,164
• March 2015 –            1,176
• September 2015 –    1,166

September 2015 is the latest set of official stats available, so it is difficult to see which period this ‘extra’ 30 officers refers to.  Maybe he’s including PCSOs and Specials do you think?

In September 2015 there were 10 fewer PCSOs than in March 2015, so not there.  There were also 3 fewer Specials than there were in March 2015, so NO ‘extra’ officers there.  I can only assume that he is referring to some internal redistribution of officers, which doesn’t really equate to “This year Dyfed-Powys has 30 extra police officers ”

I’ll leave it there and move on, but you haven’t persuaded me Mr Salmon, my readers can make up their own minds, or you could tell us where they have come from.  Convenient though, just before an election.  Or, maybe it’s just another example of Tory Smoke and Mirrors.

Then I couldn’t help giggling at this newspaper headline;

Salmon on the slicks

Apparently Mr Salmon is being investigated by our old friends at IPCC for driving his official Dyfed Powys vehicle with one or more bald tyres.  Apart from the sheer embarrassment of getting caught driving a Job car with bald tyre(s) the model and nature of said vehicle caught my attention.

Our friends in the media beat me to it and submitted their own FOI request.

A Freedom of Information request has found that the BMW 530 supplied to Mr Salmon is equipped with blue lights and a siren that he cannot use. The request also states the Commissioner is entitled to claim 45p a mile in mileage expenses for use of a private vehicle.

A BMW 530 equipped with blue lights and siren?  Firstly Mr Salmon is a politician not a Police Officer, in my humble opinion he has no right to drive such a vehicle.  I am sure that the Dyfed Powys Pool is full of Focus’ and Skodas he could drive, or maybe something a little bit more up market, a Mondeo for example, without blue lights and siren.

Secondly I am sure that the Police Officers of Dyfed Powys would welcome an unliveried BMW 530 with blue lights and siren onto the fleet.  I am sure they could find a more suitable use for it every day of the week.  All I can think is that Dyfed Powys Police are so well off that they don’t have to worry about money so muchg as other Forces, unwanted, surplus BMWs lying around all over the shop.

I nearly forgot, MILEAGE.  Bronwen tells me that her boyfriend Dai is only allowed to claim 40p per mile mileage.  Some disparity there it seems, or maybe the PCC’s miles are more valuable than the Police Officers’?

All this from the Force that gave us

Dyfed-Powys in South Wales – the force where 19 days of work was rewarded with £170,000 – gave a senior officer expenses worth £54,945 when he moved house.

Carl Langley, a 48-year-old assistant chief constable, claimed the cash when he moved from Lincolnshire Police in March 2012.

and

Police chief whose move cost taxpayers £55k is probed over alleged affair with lawyer affected his work

and

Police lawyer being probed over affair with force chief now accused of giving £67,000 of work to estranged husband’s legal firm

Our friends at the Daily Mail really do seem to have it in for Mr Langley and his Force.  I have no idea if all or any of these items are true but I assume that the Daily Mail think that they are.

If you know of any more Tory PCCs seeking re-election that would benefit from ‘The Spotlight’ please let me know in the usual way and I will see what I can do with it.