New Police & Crime Commissioner Takes Action

Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire’s new Police & Crime Commissioner, has done more in his first few weeks in office than the previous Police Authority did in the last three years.

Since taking office in late November, he has announced plans to end the 3 year freeze on recruitment of new police officers and scrapped the policy that forces police, some as young as 48, to retire after 30 years service. Matthew has also pledged to take urgent action to sell the 16 acre former Police HQ estate in Stafford which has been derelict at a cost to Staffordshire taxpayers of over a million pounds each year.

Matthew said, “The previous Police Authority policies mean Staffordshire Police has been operationally squeezed at both ends for some time with no new blood joining the force because of the recruitment freeze and a wealth of valuable experience being lost because of the ‘A19’ forced retirement.”

“My decision to scrap those policies wasn’t easy because of the financial pressures all public sector bodies face. But my priority is the effective policing of Staffordshire in the future and for that reason it is absolutely the right thing to do so that crime in our county continues to fall.”

“I’m confident that the financial savings still needed can be achieved through buying better, smart collaboration on back office services across public sector bodies in Staffordshire and utilising police buildings and assets better than ever before. It will be a challenge but one I’m certain we can meet by doing things in a more businesslike way”.

And whilst Matthew has put the brakes on further amalgamations with West Midlands Police, the new year will see progress on a five point plan to increase police visibility in Staffordshire’s communities, a multi million pound investment in mobile technology meaning officers can be fully ‘data equipped on the move’ and the establishment of a new Young Police Cadets Service funded through a new business sponsored Staffordshire Corporate Social Responsibility Fund.

Matthew concluded, “Yes, there are big challenges ahead but my first few weeks in office lead me to believe that my ambitions for Staffordshire to have the most visible, technologically advanced and cost effective police service in the country are entirely achievable over the next few years.”

Local Lichfield councillor Sue Arnold joins Matthew in a part time role as Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire from 1st January.