NEW Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has been told that she ‘destroyed’ the work of Tony Hogg at a meeting of the Police and Crime Panel and has been told to ‘refrain’ from making political statements.

The meeting was called on Friday, May 27, to consider the discharge of the function of the Police and Crime Commissioner. The panel is only able to make recommendations, not suspend, and cannot question Ms Hernandez on the allegations directly.

Members of the public submitted questions to the panel and the the panel themselves also asked Ms Hernandez questions regarding her role while implicated in a criminal investigation over alleged election fraud.

Terry Deans said: ‘I understand that employees of the criminal justice system, police officers etc, are suspended pending the outcomes of any investigations relating to any misbehaviour’ and ‘recently high-profile examples of this’ have come to light and suspension is standard practice for professional bodies.

He said this ‘undermined’ police and public perception in the ability of Ms Hernandez to discharge her public duties. ‘Why does Alison Hernandez appear exempt from these regulations?’

Cllr Roger Croad, chair of the Police and Crime Panel, read a written response which said the panel was ‘unable to make comment on disciplinary procedures of organisations or political parties external of the office of the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner as they fall outside the remit of this panel.

‘The panel has the power to suspend the PCC if they are charged with a criminal offence with a maximum sentence of more than two years. Regarding the alleged matters of conduct, the panel has delighted the handling of the companies to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, who have made a referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.’

Chris Elliott ask whether the panel were happy that Ms Hernandez said in a BBC interview about the allegations that ‘the whole thing is political, its a storm in a teacup’.

Cllr Croad referred back to the written response.

Ruth Wilson was not at the meting but her question was read to the panel. She asked: ‘How can the public have trust in the PCC’s integrity while being investigated for election fraud?’ She said ‘any other professional in this situation would be suspended’ and asked why Ms Hernandez she been ‘exempt’ from this ‘basic standard’.

Councillor Rachel Sutton of Exeter City Council said that previous PCC Tony Hogg had taken up the post at a time when ‘there was little public appetite for the role and little understanding of it’ and that he ‘built trust’ in a ‘largely unpolitical’ way and that he had said in an interview on Radio Cornwall that Ms Hernandez had ‘destroyed, in 24 hours, all of that work’.

Ms Hernandez said that she wasn’t sure Tony Hogg had said ‘those words’ and that she had had a ‘good handover meeting’ with him and he was ‘very supportive of me’.

Ms Hernandez dismissed questions of her integrity and said that people she met on the street or in organisations had been ‘supportive’ and she had not got the feeling that they were ‘upset’ by the situation.

Cllr Croad ended the meeting saying that the panel met to reflect the ‘significant public concern about the Police and Crime Commissioner’. He said that ‘while the panel notes that the commissioner is subject to allegations, she has not been charged with a criminal offence’ and that the functions are ‘able to be discharged’.

However, he said that the ‘panel and the public are concerned’ that the PCC has made public comments which ‘could be deemed political in nature’ and that Ms Hernandez should ‘refrain from making any such comments in the future’ and that the panel will ‘continue to scrutinise’ Ms Hernandez.