WILTSHIRE Police could not do its job without the services provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire and Swindon, says

Angus Macpherson.

Mr Macpherson, who has held the role since 2012, was responding to questions about the amount of money spent by his office.

He also criticised restrictions in police funding under the current government, saying that they inevitably result in a reduction in police officers.

The PPC’s office had a budget of £2.4m in 2016/17, despite having the fewest officers of any force in the country. In comparison, the PCC for Bedfordshire had a net spend of £1.6m over the same period, with a force of 1,119 officers to Wiltshire’s 983.

But Mr Macpherson said that these numbers did not give the complete picture.

He said: “Decisions on the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) budget are made locally, and dependent upon commissioned services, so it is difficult to compare like for like between each OPCC.

“Of my £2.4m budget over £1.2m is spent on commissioning services that work with the police such as services to support victims of crime, services to protect victims of domestic abuse and sexual offences and mental health triage to support front line officers.

“This is less than two per cent of the overall budget Wiltshire received from the Home Office for policing.

“The police could not do their job without these services and the service the public receives would suffer hugely if they were withdrawn.”

Mr Macpherson said £750,000 went towards the force’s capital requirements – including laptops and mobile phones for police staff – and £498,000 for his office’s staff. Non-itemised ‘other expenses’ amounted to £257,000.

Responding to Mr Macpherson’s suggestions that reduced police funding was to blame for reductions in frontline police, Justin Tomlinson, the Conservative MP for North Swindon, said: “We have rightly protected police funding, and we must make sure that front-line policing is the absolute priority - £2.9 million is a high cost to run the PCC’s Office. I very much welcome the £1.2 million which is spent on supporting victims of crime and mental health support for officers.

“However, £498,000 still seems a substantial amount being spent on both the backroom staff for the PCC’s office and the £256,785 which has been listed as ‘other expenses’ for the PCC.

“This is still taxpayers’ money and rightly we should apply scrutiny.

“Angus has the experience to do this and I will continue to work with him to make sure the police budget is focused on supporting our hardworking front-line police officers that keep our streets safe.”

Mr Macpherson added that the office was well-regarded for its financial efficiency. He said: “The Taxpayer’s Allowance went through the budgets of all PCCs with a fine-tooth comb last year, and concluded Wiltshire OPCC was one of the most cost efficient of all.

“The HMIC have also rated Wiltshire Police as ‘Good’, including in the use of money. This is despite receiving one of the lowest funding per person rates in the country.

“Focussing on the 0.5 per cent that my office costs misses the point.

“I am sure Mr Tomlinson cheered the former chancellor when, in his statement last year, he promised to protect spending in the police. Now it is time to live up to those promises.

“Top slicing by government and unavoidable increases in costs reduces the money I have to spend locally. Wiltshire Police do not receive the same money year-on-year.

“In reality it is reduced by about two per cent or £2m each and every year. This means fewer officers and that is what I wish to see reversed.”