A North East police boss has been accused of dodging public accountability over major cuts that will see more than 100 community jobs lost.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed earlier this week that Northumbria Police plans to axe most of its Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) roles as the force faces a £12m budget gap. 136 roles are set to go, 41 of which are currently vacant, though the force said it would seek to redeploy the at-risk PCSOs to other jobs.
The move has now prompted a councillor to make a formal complaint against Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Kim McGuinness, claiming she is “failing to comply with her duty of accountability”. Greg Stone, a Liberal Democrat in Newcastle, wrote to the PCC’s office alleging that the proposed job cuts had not been subject to proper scrutiny.
