PCC

Two questions for PCC candidates

TonyOX3

To start you thinking about who to vote for I’ve compiled a summary of the six Thames Valley candidates’ statements from www.policeelections.com. It’s my personal selection from their profiles and views: I’ve tried to be neutral but you (and they) may criticise or disagree with my choices. At the end I’ve put two questions to the candidates which I’ve invited them to answer.

Patience Awe, Independent
Background: Worked in various sectors, as a front office cashier, teacher, insurance marketing executive, banker, software tester, IT Capacity Planner, Project Manager. Also served as a Charity Trustee.
Headlines: Keep party politics out of policing. Rebuild trust – mutual respect between the Police and the public, so local people can be represented impartially.
Top 3 crime priorities: Set up rape crisis centres where needed in Thames Valley eg Reading, tackle causes of anti-social behaviour and crime against properties. Be mindful of the fact that, I have to first engage with the press and public, review the police crime plan and budget, engage with community partnerships, review processes and procedures before implementation.
Barry Cooper, UKIP
Background: No professional experience with the criminal justice system. Look at the issues and realities facing the police with an unprejudiced and fresh pair of eyes.
Headlines: Oppose cuts in police funding. Put rights of victim above rights of offender. Tough on crime.
Top 3 crime priorities: A zero-tolerance approach to “gateway” level crime such as anti-social behaviour and so-called “petty” crime. A reduction of response times for crime callouts so that people who are the victims of crime receive prompt and efficient help from the police. A reduction of the number of reported crimes that go un-investigated; the current rates are inexcusable and largely due to resources that should be focused on police work chasing traffic offense quotas or filling out endless reams of paperwork.
Geoff Howard, Independent
Background: No information on www.policeelections.com, but the Green Reading blog says he is or was a Slough Borough councillor for 13 years, now estate agent.
John Howson,LibDem
Background: Former teacher, lecturer, business owner, and government adviser with more than 20 years experience of criminal justice system.
Headlines: Policing by consent. Building trust.
Top 3 crime priorities: Working with the Chief Constable and other agencies on how to prevent crime, increasing detection rates to the best possible levels across the force with the resources available, and ensuring everyone who is a victim of crime is dealt with to the same level by the police.
Anthony Stansfeld, Conservative
Background: Soldier, aviator, explorer, businessman, councillor, and an experienced member of the Police Authority.
Headlines: Member of the Police Authority for past 6 years. Responsible for introducing Neighbourhood Policing. Chaired the Performance Committee which sets the police targets and monitors performance.
Top 3 crime priorities: Household burglary, rural crime including metal theft, Anti Social behaviour.
Tim Starkey, Labour
Background: Barrister: experience working both as a prosecutor and a defence lawyer. Advised on criminal justice policy.
Headlines: Strong opponent of 20% police cuts, also advocate of reforms to modernise police service. Building parnerships with other agencies. Crack down on waste.
Top 3 crime priorities: 1) Working with councils and the voluntary sector to tackle anti-social behaviour and find positive alternatives for young people 2) Working to reduce drug addiction which is the cause of most burglaries 3) Support victims of domestic violence thus securing more convictions.

Finally I’d like to ask the candidates two questions. I hope they will all enter into the spirit and engage in the debate.

  1. The Chief Constable of the Thames Valley Police is looking at ways to increase the deployment of tasers. What are your views on this?
  2. If you are elected how many support staff will you have? What will the budget be for your office?

Why I shall vote in the PCC Elections

TonyOX3

The idea that policing is a function of the state which should operate with the consent of its citizens is generally held to go back to Robert Peel, founder of the modern police force in the mid nineteenth century. But how is that consent expressed today? Police Authorities are unelected and virtually unaccountable to the electorate: the Thames Valley Police Authority consists of 10 members chosen from elected councillors, 8 independent members “chosen from ordinary members of the public who responded to a public advertisement” and 2 lay magistrates. It seems highly unlikely that any Councillor has ever lost his or her seat in an election because of their actions on the Police Authority. The Home Secretary has a role too but again democratic accountability is at best remote and indirect. If as a citizen you are unhappy about some aspect of your local police force how do you make your views known and how can you invoke the voter’s ultimate sanction and get rid of someone who is underperforming?

Another assertion we are hearing as the elections get closer is “keep politics out of policing”. But how can that be? Policing is political. It is an arm of the state seeking to control (for good reasons or bad) the behaviour of its citizens. How the police handle protest demonstrations, for example, or which organisations they class as a threat to law-and-order and so justify infiltration and surveillance, or whether or not they choose to investigate allegations of phone-hacking, are highly political policies. Agreed, these questions are a long way from how often my local PCSOs run an operation to fine people for cycling on the pavement in Headington, but allocation of resources at a local level is not politically neutral either.

So I don’t have a problem with political parties sponsoring and supporting PCC candidates. This is not to say that Independent candidates have nothing to offer: they may well do, and will have an uphill struggle getting their messages across against the organisation and resources of the political parties. But although some may question whether PCCs will really have much influence over their local police forces, I see the introduction of an elected and accountable person as a step in the right direction.

And that is why I’ll be voting on 15 November.

PCC Elections update

TonyOX3

Since my blog post last week one more candidate for the job of Police & Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley has joined twitter – Patience Awe (Independent). I haven’t found an account for Geoff Howard, so that makes it five out of six.

The full list of candidates with their twitter handles is :-