Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick has warned that the decision to scrap the role nationwide removes a vital local voice from policing.
He raised his concerns at the December Police and Crime Panel meeting, saying the Government had not presented any figures to justify the move, which is due to take effect in May 2028.
He said he feared the claim of a one hundred million pound national saving had not been backed by evidence.
Mr Sidwick said the role was about serving residents and representing local priorities within policing. He said the announcement, made as part of the budget, came without consultation or advance notice. He told the meeting that staff working in PCC offices across the country play an important part in commissioning and support, adding that this work would not vanish when the posts end.
He said the public might expect any savings to support frontline policing, but without detailed information he feared the money could instead return to the Treasury.
Mr Sidwick described the evidence base as poor and asked the Government to explain the decision, saying there had been no argument set out to support the change.
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