THE Dyfed-Powys Police commissioner is to recruit a deputy — a job that comes with a salary of up to £58,000 a year.
Chris Salmon said the role of second in command will be crucial in helping him to hold the force to account.
Commissioners were first elected to forces across Wales and England last November as a replacement for the now defunct police authorities. They are responsible for controlling force budgets and setting policing priorities.
While they are directly elected, they can select their own deputies and assistants.
Mr Salmon said: "My office has a pivotal role in assisting everybody across Dyfed-Powys help the police prevent and tackle crime.
"Scrutiny of Dyfed-Powys Police will be vitally important in this process and my deputy commissioner will have a major role to play in that.
"We will work on behalf of communities at a time of exciting opportunity and change in this vital public service.
"The deputy commissioner will share my vision and energy for improving policing and crime prevention services.
"He or she will have great imagination and enthusiasm."
The full-time post will carry a salary of between £45,000 and £58,000, and the job advert says that while the political allegiance of candidates is not important, "sympathy with the views and objectives of the commissioner" is — Mr Salmon ran for office as a Conservative. The closing date for applications is Friday, May 3.
In February the South Wales commissioner, Alun Michael, appointed former Cardiff councillor and special advisor to the Welsh Government, Sophie Howe, as his deputy, and picked a former deputy chief constable of the force, Dave Francis, to be his assistant.
Both roles have a £66,000 pay packet.
The power of commissioners to choose their deputies has proved controversial in some forces, for example in Gwent, where the commissioner, Ian Johnston, appointed his former police officer colleague, friend and campaign election agent Paul Harris to the job
