Stephen Bett

Stephen Bett
Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner
In office 22 November 2012 – 11 May 2016
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Lorne Green
Personal details
Political party	Independent (since 2012) Conservative (until 2012)

Stephen Bett is an independent politician. He was the Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner between 2012 and 2016.

Political career

Bett is the former chairman of the Norfolk Police Authority and a former Conservative Party Councillor.^[1]

In the 2012 PCC elections, on 15 November 2012, he was elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk Constabulary with a total of 39,988 votes on a turnout of 14.5%. He was the first person to hold the post.^[1]

Controversy

After an investigation by the BBC, it was revealed that between November 2012 and October 2013, Bett had claimed £3024 for 70 round trips from his home to his workplace.^[2] He paid back £2721.60 after independent auditors found that he had over-claimed.^[3] In June 2014, he stepped aside as PCC while the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) led an investigation into his expenses.^[4] He returned to work in July 2014, stating that "there is a grey area within the legislation when it comes to a PCC stepping aside ... unless I return to full duties there is a significant likelihood of a protracted and expensive legal wrangle" and that "taking all this into consideration, I have decided that the best course of action is for me to return to full duties".^[5] In December 2014, the IPCC announced that he would not be facing criminal charges in relation to his expenses.^[6]

References

1. "BBC - Stephen Bett wins Norfolk police commissioner poll". BBC News. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
2. Chidzoy, Sally; Welch, Jon (8 November 2013). "Norfolk PCC Stephen Bett claimed £3,000 for travelling to his HQ". BBC News. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
3. "Norfolk PCC Stephen Bett pays back mileage expenses". BBC News. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
4. "Norfolk PCC Stephen Bett steps aside over expenses probe". BBC News. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
5. "Norfolk PCC Stephen Bett, who stepped aside, returning to work". BBC News. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
6. "PCC Stephen Bett: No criminal charges over expenses". BBC News. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.