PCCs: “Too much on our plates” to run all 999 services

IT WOULD be “absolutely and completely bonkers” for Police and Crime Commissioners to take on responsibility for all the blue light services, a PCC has said.

Home Office officials have been working on plans which would see management of fire and ambulance services transferred from local authorities to the PCCs, according to recent reports.

But commissioners – who have only been in post for a year – have said they already have “too much on their plate”.

Ian Johnston, PCC for Gwent, said: “I think this idea is absolutely and completely bonkers.

“We have been here for 12 months and we have got responsibility for the policing plan, the budget, estates, looking at joining up parts of the criminal justice system in probation and health, prison and probation and then we talk about taking on responsibility for the blue light services – it is much too much. I just cannot see the point of it.”

Mark Burns-Williamson, PCC for West Yorkshire Police, said: “I think personally me and other PCCs have got a lot of big jobs to do anyway in terms of policing and crime. I am not sure that the PCC should be responsible for more at the moment.

“There is a lot to be done on the policing side before taking responsibility of fire and ambulance as well – I think at this time it is asking too much.”

Nick Alston, PCC for Essex, added: “We have got a lot on our plate in Essex. I understand the logic but I think we need to look at the scale of the challenge we have got in policing. Essex is a really busy and complicated county – it has a very busy police service and a very busy fire service.

“I am not ruling anything out but to move towards that in the first term of office would be a struggle.”

However, Anthony Stansfeld, PCC for Thames Valley Police, said he was open to the plans: “I think it is possible to do quite a lot more with fire and rescue.”

“I think the ambulance system is far more complicated with triage – I think it would require a huge rethink. But for fire and rescue it is possible. Because the system is much more similar, I see no reason why we should not have the same control room. You could do human resources together, admin together, procurement together. I cannot see a reason why a PCC should not oversee it.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “Greater collaboration between the emergency services will improve standards and drive out inefficiencies. The emergency services often work closely together and the government is considering ways it can encourage more joined-up working to deliver higher standards for the public.”