Police and crime commissioner advertising for publicly-funded £70k-a-year PR guru

Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd is advertising for highly-paid PR guru to join his ‘leadership team’.
Although Herts police has a corporate communications department, the county’s PCC wants to hire another mouthpiece on a salary of £66,312 - £75,786, with a car allowance and final salary pension scheme.
Conservative Mr Lloyd, who was elected on a turnout of just 14.5 per cent of Hertfordshire’s voters, is himself paid £75,000 a year.
The advert, on his website, is for a Director of Communications and Engagement and reads: “You will have a track record in providing vision, direction and clarity in the development and delivery of communication plans and strategy and play a key role in the successful implementation of the Commissioner’s ambitious Police & Crime Plan, Everybody’s Business.
“As a member of the Commissioner’s leadership team, you will have an innovative approach to ensure the Commissioner and Constabulary connect effectively with the communities of Hertfordshire through the full range of communication channels and engagement opportunities. You will then use the results to shape and guide future strategy and policy direction.”
Eleanor McGrath, campaign manager of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s very disappointing that the newly-elected police commissioner is advertising for a PR guru on a massive taxpayer-funded salary.
“Local residents expect the commissioner to hold the police to account in a way that delivers value for taxpayers’ money.
“If Mr Lloyd is so concerned about his image, then he should focus on cutting out wasteful and unnecessary spending.”
However, the PCC’s office has rebutted the claims, saying “as a directly-elected representative for the whole of Hertfordshire, the Police and Crime Commissioner has very different requirements to the previous Police Authority and the current Constabulary alone.”
The statement continues: “This new role has been advertised to reflect Commissioner’s new remit, which encompasses a broad range of policing and crime issues, as well as extensive public engagement with the people and communities he represents. The post has been independently assessed by employment experts (Hay Group) and have approved the salary scale in line with Hertfordshire senior police staff grades.
“The Director of Communications and Engagement will be expected to create and implement a strategy to support the Commissioner’s policy, including the new Police and Crime Plan. This is not something the Commissioner can do alone - there are many channels of communication to utilise, including the many news media outlets and ever-growing social media.
“In terms of the Commissioner’s ‘engagement’ role this involves an understanding the views of over one million people who live in Hertfordshire and the multiple communities and groups, including businesses, based in the county – without expert advice, help and action, it would not be possible for a single elected representative to do this effectively.
“The role will also oversee the public relations functions and operational policing communications for the Constabulary (Corporate Communication Department) and ensure that important information, crime prevention advice and reassurance reaches everyone possible in the county.”
In February, Hertfordshire’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Rachel Frosh resigned after she became embroiled in a Twitter row about Adolf Hitler. The Conservative, who earned £20,000 a year for her two-day-a-week job, had re-tweeted a message that likened Socialists to Nazis.
Mr Lloyd has also been criticised by councillors by other parties for his decision to seek re-election as a Hertfordshire county councillor in next month’s elections