ALL future decisions regarding Cleveland Police Commissioner business
will take place at Middlesbrough Municipal Golf Club.
It's alleged the initial meeting took place on Sunday 18th November 5.00pm - 8.30pm. the attendees - Mayor of Middlesbrough Ray Mallon, Mbro Council Officer Ed Chicken, a Senior Police Officer and newly elected Police Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger.
New Cleveland Police commissioner axes chief executive
Mike Blackburn, Evening Gazette Nov 21 2012
A MAJOR political row has broken out after the chief executive of Cleveland Police Authority was ousted the day the new police commissioner took power.
The Gazette has learned that Stuart Pudney has cleared his desk less than 12 months after taking over the £90,000-a-year position.
It comes after Labour’s Barry Coppinger took over as Cleveland’s first police and crime commissioner after securing victory in last week’s historic election.
The commissioner, on a wage of £70,000-a-year, this week replaces the 17-strong Cleveland Police Authority.
It is believed Mr Pudney will be paid the remainder of his contract, which was due to expire in March next year.
Ed Chicken (pictured above right with Barry Coppinger) , Middlesbrough Council’s head of community protection, has been brought in on a secondment basis.
Mr Coppinger had formerly been Mr Chicken’s boss as the council’s executive member for community protection.
It is unclear whether Mr Chicken will also be paid from CPA funds in addition to Mr Pudney.
Mr Coppinger refused to comment on the decision, but it has been blasted by both Stuart Drummond, until today the chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, and Conservative Stockton South MP James Wharton.
Mr Drummond believes it was “a crazy decision”.
“He (Mr Pudney) has been told he’s not needed any more and has been clearing out his desk,” he said.
“As chief executive and monitoring officer, a position which you have to have, one way or another his position is statutory.
“Over the last 12 months when we have been working together we have transformed this police authority from an organisation that was on its knees to one being given a clean bill of health from the Audit Commission.
“For anybody to come in and make such a sweeping change is ill-advised to say the least.
Mr Drummond said he believed the force needed stability as it continues to come under scrutiny amid the ongoing Operation Sacristy corruption probe.
The 54-year-old Mr Pudney took over the helm at Cleveland last December during one of the most difficult periods in CPA’s history.
The authority was facing losing about 20% of its overall budget - £24m - between 2012 and 2015, as well as the radical restructuring of having a single elected individual replace a 17-member authority.
There was also Operation Sacristy, which is looking into a number of people with current or past associations with CPA.
Mr Pudney, who joined from the police authority in North Yorkshire, described it as “a massive challenge”.
James Wharton said: “It is not a good start that Mr Coppinger faces serious questions about the use of taxpayer’s money and his actions on his very first week in the job,” he said.
“I hope this is not going to set the tone for his whole term.
“It seems strange to bring an additional person in so quickly, over and above that of the existing chief executive.
“Mr Coppinger will need to explain why on earth he felt an additional person was needed and at what cost, and why he feels this is a better use of taxpayers’ money than if it were spent on more police on the beat or resources for fighting crime.”
The final meeting of Cleveland Police Authority was due to be held today.
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... -32276011/
