New Bedfordshire crime commissioner's chief vows to be impartial
As the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner's (OPCC) new chief executive knows "where the bodies are buried", a Bedfordshire councillor said he was concerned whether the new executive could distance himself from his former employer.
But the new chief executive officer (CEO) said he wouldn’t have taken the role if he didn’t subscribe to the principles of honesty and integrity.
Bedfordshire’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) has appointed Sharn Basra as his CEO after the position became vacant in the summer.
The main role is to support the PCC in discharging their primary responsibility of securing the maintenance of an “efficient and effective policing service for the police area”.
Including supporting the PCC to develop and achieve their Police and Crime Plan.
Last night’s Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel’s Confirmation Hearing (Tuesday) heard Mr Basra was the assistant chief constable at Bedfordshire Police until June last year.
Councillor Gareth Mackey (Central Bedfordshire) said: “The concern that perhaps a few of us would share is that of blurred lines between the force executive and the OPCC.
“Particularly having come from a very senior role yourself.
“How are you going to divorce yourself from that entirely,” he asked.
“Because, perhaps it’s the wrong phrase to use when there’s so many policemen about, but you know where the bodies are buried and sometimes a little bit of professional distance is important within an organisation,” he said.
Mr Basra said: “I’m not going to mask my allegiance to policing and, in particular, Bedfordshire policing having served there for over 30 years.
“With that comes professionalism and a commitment to the future, not only does that stem into the professional standards of behaviour, but the Nolan Principles of Public Life – honesty and integrity.
“If I wasn’t subscribing to those I wouldn’t take up the role.
“[Working] together with partners you hold one another to account in relation to how your organisation acted, or did not do things.
“And I was always happy and proactive in looking internally at policing.
“If we needed to hold ourselves to account I was always happy to do that for the best service to the people of Bedfordshire,” he said.
Mr Basra said he looks at the role as being based on scrutiny and support, and any advice he gives to the PCC will be based on “years of policing experience”.
“There will be occasions where I will advise [the PCC] to ask questions and seek those responses,” he said.
“But I understand as well that sometimes to make some changes takes time.
“It may well be that I raise concerns… but afford some time and space for the force to meet on some of those commitments.
“The chief constable wasn’t elected by the people of Bedfordshire; he was appointed by the commissioner.
“Whereas the commissioner was appointed by the people of Bedfordshire, and now in this role he gets my support because of the support he puts to the county of Bedfordshire,” he said.