IT WOULD be \u201cabsolutely and completely bonkers\u201d for Police and Crime Commissioners to take on responsibility for all the blue light services, a PCC has said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But commissioners \u2013 who have only been in post for a year \u2013 have said they already have \u201ctoo much on their plate\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ian Johnston, PCC for Gwent, said: \u201cI think this idea is absolutely and completely bonkers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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 \u2013 it is much too much. I just cannot see the point of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Burns-Williamson, PCC for West Yorkshire Police, said: \u201cI 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a lot to be done on the policing side before taking responsibility of fire and ambulance as well \u2013 I think at this time it is asking too much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nick Alston, PCC for Essex, added: \u201cWe 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 \u2013 it has a very busy police service and a very busy fire service.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not ruling anything out but to move towards that in the first term of office would be a struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Anthony Stansfeld, PCC for Thames Valley Police, said he was open to the plans: \u201cI think it is possible to do quite a lot more with fire and rescue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the ambulance system is far more complicated with triage \u2013 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
A spokesman for the Home Office said: \u201cGreater 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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