Campaigning Commissioner
Ann Barnes’ fight against £50 million cutbacks to Kent Police budget
nlillitos@thekmgroup.co.uk KEnt’S first police commissioner, Ann Barnes, has launched a campaign to stop government cuts to our county force.
It comes at a time when she will be reviewing two highly criticised ‘jobs for the boys’ contracts on her own team that are costing the tax payer more than £70,000.
the special adviser roles are worth £35,400 each for six months work. Both are now nearing the end of their terms.
One of the special advisers is Cranbrook businessman Howard Cox. the other is Peter Carroll, who stood as the Lib Dem’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Maidstone and the Weald at the last election.
One Cranbrook councillor, Sean Holden (Con), previously said the expenditure should have been spent on police, adding: “this is no more than Ann Barnes finding money to appoint her spin doctors.”
this week Mrs Barnes vowed to fight policing cuts to save community policing.
Kent Police needs to find £50 million in savings from its £316.7m budget, which could result in losing up to one fifth of its workforce.
Commenting on her ‘Fighting Cuts’ campaign, Mrs Barnes said she believed any further savings would not be sustainable.
She claimed some 100 new front line police posts had been created under her, along with a tax rebate for those who volunteer as special constables.
“the thin blue line is a very thin blue line!” she said. “I’ve visited over 30 hamlets, villages and towns in Kent and I hear the same message.
“Visible community policing is what local people want to see and I will do all I can to fight and save this.
“there’s no point in me boosting community policing if the government will then take this away.
“If communities really care about their local officers then I need them to sign up to my petition and take a stand and be counted.”