Elections for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) will take place on May 5, 2016 in England and Wales, but excluding London and Greater Manchester.
PCCs are elected by the public every four years to ensure the policing needs of communities are met as effectively as possible and to oversee how crime is tackled in your police force area.
Former Conservative Councillor Katy Bourne is the present PCC holding the post for the last four years.
The full list of candidate declared for Sussex are:
♦ Katy Bourne (Conservative Party)
♦ James Doyle (Green Party)
♦ Michael Jones (Labour Party)
♦ Charles Patrick Lowe (UKIP)
♦ James Walsh (Liberal Democrats)Katy Bourne
A statement from Katy Bourne (Conservative)
I have served as Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) since 2012, I have the experience and proven track record to continue making a difference to policing.
As PCC, I have held the police to account on behalf of residents, supported victims of crime and made considerable savings to reinvest in frontline policing.
SOME ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR
♦ Opened recruitment for 100 new Police Constables, more PCSOs and issued cameras to all frontline officers
♦ £20million upgrade programme for police stations
♦ Established an award-winning Youth Commission, nationally recognised for outstanding public engagement
♦ Encouraged the creation of dedicated business/cybercrime strategy for Sussex
♦ Funding support for victims of abuse, serious sexual offences, child exploitation
♦ Established the UK’s first Elders Commission – giving older people a voice on policing
MY PLAN TO CONTINUE DELIVERING
If re-elected I will continue to:
♦ Deliver effective neighbourhood policing to our rural communities, towns and city
♦ Support victims of crime, especially our elderly and young
♦ Cut crime, catch criminals and reduce reoffending
♦ Protect our most vulnerable against all forms of abuse
♦ Improve access to justice for local people and put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system
♦ Invest in frontline policing and further improve the performance and efficiency of Sussex Police
This election really matters – the PCC is responsible for setting the £250m budget for policing in Sussex, has the power to appoint and dismiss the Chief Constable and must ensure residents’ views are heard when setting policing priorities.
I’ve travelled the length and breadth of Sussex hearing peoples’ views about what matters in local policing. We’ve made real progress to deliver on these priorities – let’s not put that work at risk now.
Website: www.katybourne.com
Email: campaign@katybourne.com
Telephone: 0800 023 5793
Twitter: @katybourne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatyBournetheSussexPCC/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
A Statement from James Doyle (Greens)
My name is James Doyle, I’m a district councillor for the Green Party in Worthing, and previously served as a West Sussex County Councillor. I live in Worthing, and my wife recently retired after thirty years’ service as a Sussex Police officer. I have also been a member of the Sussex Probation Board.
Like other public services, the police have suffered six years of cuts and creeping privatisation. When services are sold off to private companies, profit is prioritised over people. I will fight to protect police resources and use them efficiently to keep us safe in our homes and on our streets.
I support more emphasis on crime prevention and reducing re-offending. For example, restorative justice helps offenders face the consequences of their actions and gives victims a better sense of justice.
Above all, we should have a police service, not a police force: working for local communities. Homelessness and drug use are major problems in Sussex, and I will address them with an honest, evidence-based approach. The ‘war on drugs’ has comprehensively failed, and drugs need to be seen as a health issue, not a criminal one. Criminalising our most vulnerable people is not only inhumane, it simply doesn’t work.
The police also must do more to tackle hate crime in Sussex – racism, domestic abuse and LGBT abuse are not prioritised.
A Green vote on May 5 is a vote for open, transparent policing that does not ignore those in need. I’ll work tirelessly to protect the rights, freedoms and safety of everyone in the community.
Facebook: James Doyle for Sussex PCC: www.facebook.com/James4SussexPCC/?fref=ts
Website: www.segreens.com/
Telephone: 01273 766 670
A statement from Michael Jones (Labour)
Michael Jones is a Labour member of the Sussex Police and Crime Panel, where he has been standing up for residents on all matters related to policing.
Michael trained as a solicitor, and is known locally as a hard working, independently minded councillor. He has lived in Sussex for most of his life, growing up on the south coast.
Michael is the leading councillor for Public Protection at Crawley Borough Council, with responsibility for community safety and fighting crime and anti-social behaviour.
Michael’s priorities for Sussex Police are:
♦ Reverse the proposed cuts to front-line policing and keep a presence in every town, every village
♦ Strengthen the fight against internet and telephone scammers
♦ Make residents’ local priorities the Police’s priorities, like anti-social behaviour
♦ Give low-level crime the attention it deserves
♦ Stronger action on hate crime
Sussex Police is set to lose huge numbers of neighbourhood police and PCSOs.
Michael will attempt to stop the current round of savage Tory cuts to community policing on the first day after being elected, doing whatever is necessary to save existing officers and restore Police morale.
Local people know the worth of community policing, and the benefits to crime reduction through greater visibility and information gathering. We need a new PCC to save Community Policing and to stop Sussex Police making a historic mistake.
Make sure your vote counts.
If you don’t want to see the Conservatives win this time, remember Labour was in second place at the last Sussex PCC election. You get a second preference vote in this election. Even if you usually vote for another party, please use your second preference vote for Michael as the candidate best placed to beat the Tories.
To view website, click here:
Or telephone: 01273 330710
A statement from Charles Patrick Lowe (UKIP)
Virtually a lifelong Sussex resident and successful business owner for 18 years, including national board experience in governance, I will champion Sussex with an independent mind, free from party politics. I will ensure a preventative policing strategy through visible face-to face quality policing, putting back into our communities well-led, pro-active Bobbies, fitted with body cameras, on the beat in each community – not only giving real value for our taxes, but improving public relationships, trust, local knowledge and intelligence, safety from terrorism and not over-reliant on call-centres.
That’s not just visible policing on the cheap with limited powers, less trained PCSO’s or community wardens, but fully trained police constables, as their real salary levels are actually similar to what you pay for PCSO’s.
I will aim to ensure accountability from first response officers, along with internal efficiency and bureaucracy-busting strategies, will put the victim first in getting real justice and cost savings. I will cut the PCC’s budget and modernise police leadership, putting money back into front-line policing and victim support.
My PCC team will include experts from policing, representatives of the Federation, Superintendents’ Association and Inspectors’ Board to assist me with innovative ideas, communication and morale.
Bringing in fresh ideas successfully used abroad, I will help build our police service with innovative funding plans, offset any financial shortfalls and create additional revenue streams. The consultative groups that are in place will continue and I have signed up to the Committee on Standards in Public Life, values I already demonstrate, ensuring an ethical approach.
My strategy will reduce the fear of crime and response times, while giving regular open and transparent reports on my progress over my four years.
To view website, click here:
A statement from James Walsh (Liberal Democrat)
Dr. James Walsh – working to cut crime and protect frontline policing in Sussex.
Here are my top priorities for making our streets safer:
♦ Safeguard frontline police and community support officers
♦ Cut re-offending
♦ More focus on preventing crime
♦ More use of restorative justice and community service.
Police officers have a tough job and they need more support. But Sussex Police has put up with a whopping £65m in cuts over the last 5 years. Worse still, Sussex Police faces millions more in cuts in the years ahead. That’s the same as about 700 frontline police officers! We need to stop the cuts. That’s why I will fight to get more government money to tackle crime.
The police are too often tied up in red tape. We need to free up the police to spend less time behind computers and more time on the streets.
I’ll also make sure we do more to stop re-offending. Focusing on rehabilitation and restorative justice, so people pay back victims and the local community would cut crime, save police time and taxpayers’ money.
More should be done to stop people becoming criminals in the first place. We need to identify and support at-risk teenagers and young adults before they fall into a life of crime, often to support drug addiction.
I am a retired Sussex GP with more than 40 years of experience as a local councillor. I’m also a former Chairman of Sussex Police Authority.
I’ll use that experience to ensure that we are tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime.
With your support I’ll make sure we have an effective, well-funded police force that will help keep you and your family safe.
Telephone: 01903 773771
Email: james@jameswalsh.org.uk
Website: www.jameswalsh.org.uk
To download a PDF with statements from all the candidates, click here:
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