"They have my full confidence" Police and crime commissioner responds to claim Bedfordshire Police execs 'mislead' public
Bedfordshire’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) said he has “full confidence” in the chief constable, his chief executive, and his chief financial officer — despite a member of the public’s claim that they appeared to have “deliberately misled the public”.
A question from an unnamed member of the public was read out at last night’s Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel (Tuesday, April 1).
The question claimed: “Force/PCC data shows residents are funding a budgeted 174 PCs in community police hubs.
“Force executives misled the public since 2019 claiming it was 67 PCs, there should be 237 officers of all ranks in hubs.
“DCC [deputy chief constable] Vajzovic said increased PCs was only an aspiration.
“The executive has failed to be open, honest and accountable required standards for all officers.
“Mr. Rodenhurst [chief constable] said there is no place in this force anyone who does not uphold the values and standards we expect in policing, and he would root out anyone who betrays those standards.
“Can the PCC explain why the chief constable, Mr. Wells [Phil, chief financial officer] and Mr. Basra [Sharn, chief executive] remain in office when they appear to have deliberately misled the public, failed to deliver promised PCs in hubs and breached the police code of ethics?”
The PCC, John Tizard, replied that the government via its neighbourhood policing guarantee will be monitoring against the “national definition of neighbourhood policing” to ensure consistency between the 43 police services in England and Wales.
“As of March 31, 2025, we have 109 police officers including seven student officers and 38.39, to be precise, PCSO’s recorded against the national definition for neighbourhood policing,” he said.
He added that by the end of the new financial year the force will have 20 additional police officer through the neighbourhood policing guarantee.
“They won’t all be constables, some will be some sergeants as well, maybe an inspector and eight PCSOs in the community team and in the neighbourhood team,” he said.
“These officers and PCSOs are part of Bedfordshire’s police service, which has 1486 officers and 1219 staff, and all of those serve every community in the county.
“It’s really important we don’t always think that it’s only the neighbourhood teams that provide police services whether it’s in the urban or the rural areas.
“I have full confidence in the chief constable, the chief executive of my office, and the chief financial officer.
“I don’t think I’m in a position to be looking for any of those officers to be standing aside.
“Indeed, I think we as a county, we as a police service, and we as a police and prime commissioner’s office are well served by all three public servants.
“So, I have no intention of calling for them to resign or hold them further to account than I already do,” he said