Questions as deputy PCC doesn’t stand in
PCC: Comments are ‘unacceptable’
CHESHIRE’S police and crime panel has asked for clarification of the deputy commissioner’s role after no-one stood in for the commissioner at an official meeting to answer questions about policing.
Police and crime commissioner John Dwyer was unable to attend Friday’s (June 24) meeting of the police and crime panel because he was ill.
This meant there was no-one to answer questions from the crossparty panel - whose job is to scrutinise the work of the police commissioner’s office.
Some members wanted to know why deputy commissioner David McNeilage didn’t attend - and one said she had never met him.
Co-optee Yasmin Somani said she would be interested to hear the panel’s thoughts on ‘why the deputy isn’t here today to answer questions on behalf of the commissioner, given that that role has been held up as an important role in that office’.
“It would have been a good opportunity for the deputy to make himself known and have his voice heard,” she said, adding: “We’re yet to hear anything from him, I am anyway. I’ve had no engagement from him whatsoever.”
Cheshire East Council (CEC) officer Martin Smith told the meeting: “We only found out a couple of days ago that, unfortunately, the commissioner couldn’t come today because of illness.
“When I spoke to his office yesterday, I was advised that unfortunately, because of the short notice, the deputy commissioner wasn’t able to attend today.”
Cllr Laura Jeuda (CEC, Lab) suggested the deputy should pencil the meeting dates in his diary so he could deputise if necessary.