Lancashire Police Authority board election could cost taxpayers £2m

12:10pm Friday 21st November 2008

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GOVERNMENT plans to introduce 14 new members to Lancashire Police Authority though an election process could cost the taxpayer £2million.

The Home Office’s recent Green Paper says directly elected police authorities would have a stronger role in holding forces to account.

The authority is charged with ensuring the force’s chief constable acts on local crime priorities and has the power to decide how small amounts of police funding are spent.

There are currently 17 people serving on the county’s authority board, but this could swell to more than 30 under the new proposals.

Chief executive of the authority, Miranda Carruthers-Watt, has put the potential cost of an election at as much as £2million – and they could take place every four years.

It is not clear who would foot the bill.

Coun Malcolm Doherty, chair of the authority, previously said elections would politicise policing.