Somerset's Chief Constable to follow PCC and to go in July

Sue Mountstevens is the outgoing
Police and Crime Commissioner

Reacting to the news that the Chief Constable of Somerset Andy Marsh is stepping down in July, Leader of Somerset Independents and Spokesperson for Police and Crime Andrew Pope says:

"It must have been hard for Andy Marsh to be used politically by the Police and Crime Commissioner. Hopefully it won't happen to him again elsewhere. 

As it was with the Budget and with the appointment of John Smith as Deputy PCC, Ms Mountstevens has politicised the Chief Constable on multiple occasions. He should not have had to suffer that. She should not have put him in that position.

PCC's are political roles and the Chief should not be commenting on any such appointment or presenting the Budget. Indeed, the PCC is there to hold the PCC to account, so any comments on appointments would be entirely inappropriate. When I spoke against the Budget, Ms Mountstevens did not present her own Budget, despite it being her job to do so.

Despite being put in that position by the PCC, Andy Marsh made every effort to respond to my points on the Budget. I was the only member of the public to turn up at the meeting.

So I wish Andy Marsh well and hope that the next Chief is not politicised by whoever is elected to be our new Commissioner in May when Ms Mountstevens goes.

Perhaps it is for the best that Mr Marsh announces his departure now, as the new PCC has the power to appoint and remove the Chief, as Ms Mountstevens did during her nine years as PCC. It seems to be an honourable thing to do. The new PCC might have removed him.

The timing is strange though, as we are in the middle of the election campaign for the new PCC. Despite the Statement of Persons Nominated not being issued until tomorrow, the starting gun has already been fired. Let's hope these changes are a sign of a change in how Somerset is policed."