Named and shamed: Humberside Police chief Justine Curran claimed £39,000 in expenses to move to area

THE Chief Constable of Humberside Police has been named and shamed in a national investigation on so-called “fatcats” for claiming £39,000 in expenses to move to our area.

Justine Curran reportedly claimed the cash for the cost of transferring from Tayside to Humberside when she became the area’s top cop in March 2013.

The claim has been made by the Daily Mail as part of their ongoing investigation into the salaries and payments made to Britain’s public sector bosses.

It submitted 6,000 Freedom of Information requests and following months of research with the TaxPayers’ Alliance.

Yesterday, it looked at local authority bosses, revealing the salary for North East Lincolnshire Council’s chief executive Rob Walsh as £150,580.

That compared to £206,383 for the chief of Lincolnshire County Council and £163,228 for North Lincolnshire’s top employee.

Today, the investigation has turned to police officers, including Carl Langley, a 48-year-old assistant chief constable who claimed £54,945 when he moved from Lincolnshire Police to Dyfed-Powys in March 2012.

And Ms Curran claimed £39,000 for the cost of transferring from Tayside to Humberside, which was branded inadequate by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary last month.

This amounted to a £215,000 pay package last year, comprising £142,000 in salary, the £39,000 relocation deal and pension contributions of £34,000, making her “one of the highest earners in British policing”.

Under the deal, she was permitted to claim for her mortgage interest or rent for up to 26 weeks and the costs of surveyors, lawyers, stamp duty, removals, lettings and domestic fittings.

But two years on, having introduced a “one force” model and shift pattern changes, the force has been branded “inadequate” by inspectors, who identified grave concerns over the operating model.

Concerns included the high percentage of 101 calls from the public that were being abandoned, high sickness rates and not enough patrols at peak times.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: “Chief Constable Curran was was appointed in 2013 and the salary offered for the role was in line with national guidelines agreed by the Home Secretary. The total figure breaks down as follows: £143k salary, relocation fees of £39k and an Employers Pension Scheme Contribution of £34k.

“The £39k relates to relocation fees which are in line with a nationally agreed level. The relocation fee formed part of the recruitment advertisement for the new Chief Constable which included a stipulation that the successful applicant would be required to reside in the force boundary and if necessary appropriate relocation fees would be paid, to a maximum of £50k.

“At the time of her appointment Ms Curran lived in Scotland.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Grove said: “Chief Constable Justine Curran was appointed in 2013 following the retirement of the previous Chief. The salary offered for the role was exactly in line with the Police Negotiating Board Scale, which is set by the Home Office. At the time, around half the forces in the country were recruiting new Chief Constables, and the post was advertised nationally to find the best candidate.

“The recruitment process included a stipulation that the successful applicant would have to reside within the force boundary and appropriate relocation costs would be paid, to a maximum of £50k, this figure is also in line with Home Office recommendations. At the time of her appointment Ms Curran was the Chief Constable of Tayside Police in Scotland. No bonuses have been paid to the Chief Constable and employer’s pension contributions are in line with police pension scheme arrangements.”

As part of the Daily Mail investigation, it reveals that the top earnings, including salary and pension costs etc, at Humberside Police as:

  • Nine earning more than £100,000 in total last year
  • One at £150,000-plus
  • One at £200,000-plus

For the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, it gives one earning more than £100,000 in total last year.

As reported, Matthew Grove’s salary is £75,000 while the chief executive’s is £80,000.

The total earnings for the Chief Constable for Lincolnshire, Neil Rhodes, were £172,973 last year but it lists the Assistant Chief Constable Peter Davies’ earnings as £178,459 in total. It is understood Asst Chief Constable Davies was seconded elsewhere during the year.

It reports for Lincolnshire Police:

  • Six at £100,000-plus
  • Two at £150,000-plus

It states that no one in the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s office earned more than £100,000 in total. The PCC Alan Hardwick’s basic salary is listed as £65,000 on their website.

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