Bedfordshire police bosses clash with council leader in row over budget
Bedfordshire police bosses have claimed council budget cuts will put the public at risk as they call for plans to be reconsidered.
But in blistering response Central Bedfordshire Council leader Adam Zerny said the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office "costs the taxpayer £1.4million a year" – and suggested that cash would be better spent on more officers on the beat.
Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst and Police and Crime Commissioner John Tizard have this week written to the council leader and chief executive to share their concerns about a proposed reduction in the community safety budget.
They said that while they understand that the council has to cut back on some services, “in our joint view the removal of the Safer Neighbourhood Officer (SNO) posts will have a significant, negative impact on local communities, and, therefore, we would ask that the reduction in service is reconsidered.”
They added: "These officers complement the work of police officers and PCSOs. Police officers and PCSOs cannot undertake the valuable work of the SNOS as the roles are distinct and separate and work as part of a community safety system.
“The removal of the roles will lead to reduced intelligence around areas of anti-social behaviour in town centres and other public spaces. In 2024 alone the team provided the police with 232 intelligence submissions. Many of these submissions led to the identification of the vulnerable and those seeking to exploit them.”
The commissioner and chief constable say that without these officers, “over 1,000 fly-tipping investigations (a council responsibility) could, based on recent years' experience, be left unaddressed”.
But Cllr Zerny has pushed back. He said: "I fear there has been some confusion about the Central Bedfordshire Council budget proposals. The council is not proposing any changes to its Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) Officers, and there will be no changes to how the council deals with fly-tipping or fixed penalty notices. Officers will still work closely with Beds Police and will continue to share intelligence.
"The council is however proposing to remove its Safer Neighbourhood Officer team which will mean fewer visible patrols. The proposed changes will save the council £442,000 per year and will help ensure the council can run essential services such as adult social care and Children's Services."
The stinging retort added: "The Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner is a political office for which the staff alone costs the taxpayer £1.4million per year. If the PCC is genuinely concerned about getting more visible policing, perhaps some of these administration costs could help pay for more officers on the beat? By my reckoning, £1.4million would pay for 40 police community support officers. Some might argue this would be a better use of the money."
The letter to the council continued: “Inevitably, if implemented, this cut to the service will increase risks for the public and reduce our collective ability to prevent incidents and behaviours escalating into crimes. The cut will add pressure on the police; our resources are already stretched, and we simply cannot fill the gap in service that will be created.
“Community safety is the statutory responsibility of the local authority. We value the partnership between the Council, the police service and the PCC. This budget proposal as it stands undermines our collective efforts to keep communities safe in Central Bedfordshire.
“Given the urgency and potential impact of the proposed budget cut we are making this letter public and will share it with members of the council.”