Home Secretary demands police forces reveal how much chief officers get in pay and expenses after extent of taxpayer-funded perks revealed
Amber Rudd calls for 'transparency' after investigation revealed some take 64 days' holiday a year
AMBER Rudd wants police forces to reveal exactly how much their chief officers receive in pay and expenses after the extent of their taxpayer-funded perks was revealed.
The Home Secretary said the allowances given to Britain's most senior police figures, some of whom reportedly earn more than the Prime Minister, should be transparent and "open to scrutiny by the communities they serve".
She made the comments after an investigation revealed some are claiming 'allowances' of more than £30,000 and taking up to 64 days' holiday a year.
The is reporting that Chief constables and their senior teams are charging the public for private medical insurance and removal bills, and then tried to stop details coming to light.
"Professionalism and integrity must be at the heart of all aspects of policing, and we expect the highest standards from those officers leading our forces," Ms Rudd said.
The Home Secretary added: "Directly elected PCCs are rightly responsible for decisions about the pay and allowances of their chief officers, and we are clear that these should be transparent and open to scrutiny by the communities they serve.
"I am adamant that police forces cannot be opaque about such important matters, and I fully expect all forces to publish details of how they are spending taxpayer money."
Chief officer pay is set by the Home Office on the recommendations of the independent Senior Salaries Review Body, which has assessed varying allowances and has highlighted the importance of transparency.
Any expenses payments outside the regulations, including the cost of relocating officers to new posts, require approval by a force's elected police and crime commissioner (PCC) who has the power to reduce payments.
The investigation revealed Suzette Davenport, Gloucestershire Police chief, took 64 days' holiday in a year, posting photos of her trips on social media.
The most junior frontline officers, who are also facing job losses, are allowed only 21 days off per year.
Thanks to outdated rules the senior officers have continued to enjoy massive benefits while police budgets have been cut by a fifth and officer numbers plummet to their lowest level in more than a decade.
The lax regulations allow them to decide for themselves how much holiday they need, with more than 10 police forces saying their chief constables took more than 42 days annual lave a year.
One of them, Kent Police's Alan Pughsley, took 56 days' holiday last year, though the force insists he regularly works more than 50 hours.
His total pay package of £235,898 in 2014/15, including a salary of £194,215, is one of the highest in UK policing, while the force had seen total cuts of £53million and the loss of 1,200 jobs, including 500 frontline officers.
Essex chief Stephen Kavanagh claims what he calls a 'chief officer's allowance' – worth £17,000 a year – on top of his £200,000 salary, paying for his home internet and phone bills.
And he also gets a separate 'housing allowance' of nearly £7,000 a year for upkeep of his £1million mansion.
Former head of Police Scotland Sir Stephen House, took a staggering 57 days of annual leave each year that he was chief constable, despite claiming his pay package of more than £200,000 was deserved because it meant 'you have 100% of my time'.
A relocation deal saw his replacement at the head of Police Scotland, Phil Gormley, live rent-free in part of a castle with 90 acres of grounds, although he is now paying rent.
But the scale of the benefits only emerged after hundreds of Freedom of Information requests by the newspaper, while many still refused to release details about top officer perks
Chairman of the Chief Police Officers Staff Association (CPOSA), Chief Constable Mark Polin, said the system had to strike a balance between value for money for the taxpayer and the need to recruit the best people for the top policing jobs.
He said: "The CPOSA on behalf of all chief officers, has long sought clarity on the national remuneration framework, including allowances and annual leave, and continues to do so.
“We favour absolute consistency and transparency on these issues, with investigations and appropriate action against any misuse.”
