Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner election

A reminder that it is Election Day today, Thursday, for the Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner role.

Five candidates are standing: one Independent and a candidate from each of the Liberal Democrat, UKIP, Conservative and Labour parties.

Below are the election statements from each of the candidates in alphabetical order (by candidate's surnames) and as taken from the website Choose My PCC – you can click on the link below the photo for that website. This will be useful for our many readers living in Shropshire and other counties.

Voting today is from 7.00am until 10.00pm. For Audlem residents, the polling station is the Public Hall.

The Cheshire candidates' statements are:

#Ainsley Arnold (Liberal Democrat)
Election statement:

Ainsley Arnold was first elected in 1996 and served for 15 years as a councillor on both Macclesfield Borough Council and Cheshire East Council. He joined Cheshire Police Authority in 2009 and was elected vice chairman in 2010.  He has served as a non executive director on a number of organisations. Ainsley was made an Honorary Alderman of Cheshire East in 2011 for his services to the community.

Ainsley has also served as executive member of Cheshire East’s Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership and as a board member of the Children’s And Young Persons Trust Board. He was lead police authority member for partnerships in Cheshire East.

AS CHESHIRE’S POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER AINSLEY WOULD:

• Cut bureaucracy to ensure maximum resources go to frontline policing
  

  To enable officers to spend more time patrolling our neighbourhoods


• Make sure our communities have a direct say over how petty offenders are punished
  Using ‘Restorative Justice’ & Community Justice Panels’


• Work towards stamping out Anti-Social Behaviour by ensuring effective working with all agencies, partners and neighbourhoods
  Councils, Housing Associations, Schools and other agencies working with the police and neighbourhoods to stamp out this persistent problem.


• Hold surgeries for residents across all areas of Cheshire to enable residents to meet with him face to face and discuss their policing issues
  Ainsley has a proud record of public service and he will ensure that all residents are listened to especially our most vulverable


• Ensure that Cheshire Police continue to reduce not only crime statistics but also the fear ofcrime
  Visible policing is not only a deterrent to criminality but also reduces residents’ fear of crime.

#Louise Bours (UK Independence Party)
Election statement:

I live in the market town of Congleton with my two daughters aged 8 and 10.

I have had the privilege of serving my community as a Councillor from 2003 until 2009, on both the town and borough councils. In 2006 I had the honour of being elected Mayor of Congleton, and during that time worked with many of our local voluntary organisations within the area.

It was during this time that I really began to understand the important connection that must exist between the police service and the local community. Congleton is an area with a very low crime rate, however, the paradox is that within Cheshire we have some of the most affluent, but also some of the most deprived wards in the North West. One of the challenges for the Police Commissioner would be to ensure that you have empathy and understanding with the wider public’s ‘fear of crime’, whilst ensuring a robust and comprehensive approach to ‘low level’ crime with a zero tolerance ‘Broken Windows’ approach across the entire county.

Just five months ago I became a ‘victim of crime’.  It was whilst feeling at my most vulnerable, that the true nature of the police within Cheshire became apparent.  They were sympathetic and understanding; they answered every question, and appeased any worries that my daughters and I had.  I would ensure that the police in Cheshire would always be allowed to conduct their work in this manner – they should be supported in the difficult and at times dangerous work they undertake on our behalf, whilst maintaining efficient and transparent practice.  Our police service has earned its reputation as one of the best in the world – the Police Commissioner should ensure that this reputation is upheld.

#John Dwyer (Conservative)
Election statement:

The introduction of the post of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) will mean that, for the first time, you will be able to hold someone to account for policing in Cheshire.  Your new PCC will set the priorities for policing and determine the budget.  My background is policing and public service.  I am a former Assistant Chief Constable in Cheshire and was a Cabinet Member on Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council.  I have run my own business and I’m a trustee of a number of local charities.

My vision for Cheshire has been set out in my manifesto “Making Cheshire an even better place to live” which you can read at www.johndwyer.org.uk

My priorities include:

• Enhancing frontline policing to enable officers to further drive down crime


• Increasing the Special Constabulary to 1000, with a Special in every town and village


• Demanding a zero tolerance approach towards yobbish behaviour to punish the small minority who blight our lives


• Introducing a sentencing unit that will monitor punishments on behalf of victims of crime and, where necessary, campaign for tougher sanctions


• Making rural crime a particular focus for police activity


• Building fresh partnerships with a strong focus on drugs and alcohol abuse


• Introducing the post of Youth Ambassador


• Building and enhancing the most important partnership of all – the one between public and the police

Cheshire is already a fantastic place to live.  But we must not rest on our laurels.  Success lies in freeing police officers to do what they do best – policing.  I believe a vote for me is a vote for unrivalled experience and determination to make Cheshire an even better place to live.  It would be an honour to receive your support.

#Sarah Flannery (Independent)
Election statement:

“The police are the public and the public are the police,” said Sir Robert Peel, the father of modern policing whose principles are followed to this day.

I believe that only an Independent Police and Crime Commissioner can respect that principle and fulfil the main role of the PCC: to connect the public with policing.

I’ve always been Independent and political dogma has no place in my approach.

As the People’s PCC, I will be a strong voice for safer communities by putting people – not party politics – at the heart of policing. And I commit to tackling this role with integrity, energy, vision and openness.

As Independent Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner, I will:

•  Represent all parts of Cheshire fairly, with links and surgeries across the county so that I’m visible and I know your views


•  Deliver efficient policing by supporting the police service, building strong partnerships with public, private and voluntary organisations


•  Reduce crime by thoughtful and realistic focus on more visible police presence, detection rates, re-offending, anti-social behaviour and dealing effectively with offenders


•  Deliver value for money by supporting what works well, and resourceful commissioning that cuts crime without sacrificing public safety for profit


•  Improve accountability and public confidence with regular updates on how your needs are being met – and being honest about what can and can’t be done


•  Provide the best possible service for victims and witnesses of crime


•  Increase the involvement of young people in community crime fighting with initiatives such as a Youth PCC

Together we CAN reduce crime and have policing without a political tug-of-war in Cheshire.

If you want what I want, please mark your election paper with a number ’1′ against my name. Thank you.

#John Stockton (Labour)
Election statement:

“I’m honoured to have been selected as Labour’s candidate for the Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner role. I will not stand by and let the Tories and Lib Dems become cheerleaders for police cuts in Cheshire.

Since coming into office this Tory-led government has attacked the police and undermined the fight against crime. Police budgets have been cut by 20% and in four years here in Cheshire we will lose nearly 250 police officers, despite having a force of less than 2,000 police.

The Government should be trying to fight crime and support the police. Instead, they are cutting police and don’t have an effective plan to reduce crime. This is completely outrageous and I will do all I can to protect our police force here in Cheshire.

The government need to realise that you don’t cut crime by cutting police; instead you undermine the police’s ability to fight crime by cutting essential staff.”

 John will be campaigning in Cheshire on five key pledges:

• Standing up for communities against the Government’s 20% cuts to policing and the loss of nearly 250 police in Cheshire by 2015.


• Keeping police on the beat with neighbourhood policing; not handing over responsibility to private companies or leaving it just to PCSOs.


• Backing a strong and swift response to antisocial behaviour. Victims should be able to get a response within 24 hours.


• Being tough on crime and the causes of crime. I will work in partnership with the police, local people and councils to tackle and prevent crime.


• Protect the police from political interference. I will set the strategic direction for policing, but will not interfere in operational matters, which is the right and proper duty of the Chief Constable.

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