Complaint against TVP Police and Crime Commissioner upheld

The region's Crime Panel’s (PCP) Complaints Sub-Committee had a meeting with the PCC, Anthony Stansfeld, where it reaffirmed its decision to uphold a complaint against him.

The PCP Complaints Sub-Committee invited the Police and Crime Commissioner to a meeting to explain his actions in relation to an upheld complaint made against him from David Standish and Blair Nimmo of KPMG and their legal advisors DLA Piper UK LLP, in respect of an insolvency matter where Mr Standish and Mr Nimmo are the office holders. 

The complaint related to the personal involvement of the PCC in civil matters outside his remit and jurisdiction as PCC for Thames Valley. 

The PCP Complaints Sub-Committee noted the robust explanation from the PCC as to why he became involved in the matter, particularly the claim he was acting in his national “non- statutory” role as the Association of PCC (APCC) lead for Fraud and Cyber Crime. 

However, the Sub-Committee reaffirmed its decision to uphold the complaint against the PCC as it was found that he did not have the authority of the APCC to become involved in this matter.  

The PCP will be informing the Independent Office for Police Conduct of the PCC’s actions and will also write to the APCC (copying in the relevant Home Office Minister) informing them of his actions.

Responding to the decision, Anthony Stansfeld, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said:

"I disagree with the findings of the Police and Crime panel (PCP). The duties of the PCP is to hold the PCC to account, but also to support the PCC. This my panel has failed to do. One of the most important duties of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) is to protect and support victims of crime. The area of crime I cover for all PCCs is Fraud. Thousands have been defrauded by banks, legal practices and accountants. The HBOS Reading case was typical of this. Senior parliamentarians from both houses of parliament and from both major political parties have written in to the PCP supporting me in this.  A great many organisations and individuals have also written in to my PCP to support my efforts to see that victims of fraud are treated properly, fairly, and are recompensed. The PCP has failed to even mention the support my actions have received over this case.

"Dame Linda Dobbs, a senior retired High Court Judge is investigating what has gone on in Lloyds, HBOS, and their accountants and lawyers. The report, which was originally expected to take a year, has now entered its fifth year, and employs over 50 QCs, lawyers and accountants. The two companies who complained about are both likely to feature prominently in her report. I find it extraordinary that my PCP, which is composed of local Councillors, can produce a report about this after an afternoon’s deliberation into a subject they know little if anything about. I question whether its members have read the many letters written in support of my actions to protect victims of fraud that have been sent to the Panel.

"I think it is probably impossible for the PCP to investigate complex complaints of this nature. However it should say so. Both the previous complaints accepted by the panel were not looked into in any depth, and I have little doubt that if they had been, and if they had been understood, then the complaints would not have been upheld."