The new Police Commissioners started work nearly six months ago. By law they have to record the formal decisions they have taken. So how has our Police Commissioner for Merseyside, Jane Kennedy, been getting on?
The answer is that according to an official PCC web site, Jane
Kennedy has taken just six decisions in her first five months in the job – a rate
of just over one decision a month. That compares with 85 decisions taken by the
busiest Police Commissioner, Ian Johnston of Gwent in Wales.
Analysis of all published decisions taken by each Police
& Crime Commissioner (PCC) has been carried out by police organisation
expert Bernard Rix and his findings are published here.
To be fair to Jane Kennedy she isn't the least hardworking Police
Commissioner - that would be the chap in Wiltshire who took just four formal
decisions, two less than Jane.
Southport's hard-pressed Council Tax payers may be surprised
to learn that Jane Kennedy is paid £85,000 per year, which works out at over
£35,000 for her first five months, or almost £6,000 per decision.
