Voting for first police and crime commissioner draws near (From Wirral Globe)
Send us news by text, start your message Globe News and your send photos and videos to 80360
Voting for first police and crime commissioner draws near
9:51am Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in News By Stephanie Cureton
Voting for first police and crime commissioner draws near
WIRRAL residents will soon get their chance vote for the area’s first police commissioner as the election draws closer.
Six candidates will go head-to-head on November 15 to be chosen as Merseyside’s police and crime commissioner (PCC).
The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, which was passed by Parliament in September 2011, pledged to introduce the role of an elected police and crime commissioner for each of the 41 police force areas in England and Wales outside London.
If picked by the people of Merseyside, they will replace the police authority and will be responsible for overseeing how crime is tackled in the area and ensure the police force is effective.
Each candidate has had to put forward a £5,000 deposit, drawing criticism from some quarters that it deters independent citizens from entering the ballot as in most cases only organised political parties could afford to risk such a sum.
Among the new crime chief’s duties will be regularly engaging with the public, setting the budget and appointing, appraising and if necessary, dismissing, the chief constable.
Under the plans, the chief constable will still be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the force but will be accountable to the public via the commissioner.
Merseyside’s candidates are as follows:
Geoffrey Gubb – Conservative
Hilary Jones – UKIP
Jane Kennedy – Labour
Kiron Reid – Independent
Paul Rimmer – English Democrats
Paula Keaveney – Liberal Democrats
Tory candidate Geoffrey Gubb, chairman of governors at Meadowside Special School, says his priorities are to “focus less on the rights of the criminal and more on justice for victims of crime.
He wants to work to ensure that crime hotspots are “tackled quickly and effectively” and that money is being spent properly across communities.
UKIP’s Hilary Jones, a former Wirral councillor and serving Wirral magistrate, says she wants to “restore confidence in the relationship between the police and public” and is looking to treat low-level crime with the same importance as other crimes.
Labour’s Jane Kennedy, a former Wavertree MP, says she wants to fight privatisation of the police and win local people’s support.
She promises to win local people’s backing and call for more resources for Merseyside
Kiron Reid, a law lecturer at the University of Liverpool and former Anfield councillor, promises to work with directly with the police and public on the ground rather than sitting in committees.
He has pledged to put cash into youth and community projects while using expertise from universities to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
English Democrats candidate Paul Rimmer, who has had a career in finance and journalism, would ensure officers are properly trained and believes police forces should be more democratically responsible than they are now.
Liberal Democrat candidate Paula Keaveney, a former journalist, says she would prioritise frontline work and make communities safer.
The Edge Hill University lecturer promises to make tackling hate a crime a priority and says she will donate the difference in pay between what she earns now and what the police commissioner role would pay, to victims of crime.
Adults over the age of 18 who are on the electoral roll are eligible to vote using the supplementary voting system, meaning they will select a first and second preference.
For more information visit www.choosemypcc.org.uk
Comments(22)
johnbrace
says...
10:59am Tue 23 Oct 12
k will have information on Merseyside's PCC candidates and election addresses from the 26th October 2012.
JimmyMercury
says...
11:00am Tue 23 Oct 12
What we need is a Joe Public who really cares. Martin Morton would have been ideal and that would have sent shock waves around Brighton street.
What I really object to is the £500 you had to pay to put yourself forward as a candidate. Getting like the Yanks. Only those with enough cash will get positions of power.
David Scott
says...
12:32pm Tue 23 Oct 12
johnbrace
says...
3:25pm Tue 23 Oct 12
Spiffy
says...
3:28pm Wed 24 Oct 12
...
Somehow, I don't think she's quite got the hang of it.
David Scott
says...
11:26am Thu 25 Oct 12
Which candidate is most likely to stand up for the long-term interests of the British people?
johnbrace
says...
1:43pm Thu 25 Oct 12
David Scott wrote:Well surely they're there to stand up just for Merseyside people as the rest of Britain can't vote for them. :D Surely taking on board the views of the whole of Merseyside which is >1 million is enough without having to consider Britain too?
As they say, if you don't vote you can't really complain later. We are stuck with these posts for some years ahead.
Which candidate is most likely to stand up for the long-term interests of the British people?
statictom
says...
10:01am Fri 26 Oct 12
Instead of a mixed political group from all parties we will have 1 from a particular party running things. Keep politics out of policing. All these candidates talk the talk, but rarely do any of them carry it through. Just look at the coalition government.
The Chief Constable needs to be accountable, but not to 1 person. I can see this being very political with too much medly in the running of the force.
statictom
says...
10:04am Fri 26 Oct 12
johnbrace
says...
10:13am Fri 26 Oct 12
David Scott
says...
10:37am Fri 26 Oct 12
johnbrace wrote:OK. It's someone to represent the British people who happen to be living in Merseyside. However, the political impact can be wider than that. For example, a vote for any of the three old parties is a vote for the old failed consensus, which accepts, for example, the extension of EU power over policing and justice.
David Scott wrote:Well surely they're there to stand up just for Merseyside people as the rest of Britain can't vote for them. :D Surely taking on board the views of the whole of Merseyside which is >1 million is enough without having to consider Britain too?
As they say, if you don't vote you can't really complain later. We are stuck with these posts for some years ahead.
Which candidate is most likely to stand up for the long-term interests of the British people?
johnbrace
says...
10:58am Fri 26 Oct 12
David Scott wrote:Oh you mean things like the European Arrest warrant, things like that?
johnbrace wrote:OK. It's someone to represent the British people who happen to be living in Merseyside. However, the political impact can be wider than that. For example, a vote for any of the three old parties is a vote for the old failed consensus, which accepts, for example, the extension of EU power over policing and justice.
David Scott wrote:Well surely they're there to stand up just for Merseyside people as the rest of Britain can't vote for them. :D Surely taking on board the views of the whole of Merseyside which is >1 million is enough without having to consider Britain too?
As they say, if you don't vote you can't really complain later. We are stuck with these posts for some years ahead.
Which candidate is most likely to stand up for the long-term interests of the British people?
David Scott
says...
11:24am Fri 26 Oct 12
johnbrace
says...
1:32pm Fri 26 Oct 12
David Scott wrote:EIO and Eurojust I understand, but not "EU control of police training". Can you explain what you mean by the latter please?
Yes, that sort of thing. European Investigation Order, Eurojust, EU control of police training, etc.
David Scott
says...
1:53pm Fri 26 Oct 12
of 20 September 2005
establishing the European Police College (CEPOL) and repealing Decision 2000/820/JHA
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 30(1)(c) and Article 34(2)(c) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ,
Whereas:
(1) At its meeting in Tampere on 15 and 16 October 1999, the European Council agreed that a European Police College, hereinafter referred to as "CEPOL", should be established to train senior officers of police forces.
(2) The European Police College was established by Council Decision 2000/820/JHA .
(3) It has become apparent that the functioning of CEPOL could be improved if it were financed from the general budget of the European Union and if the Staff Regulations of officials of the European Communities and the Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities applied to the Director and the staff of the CEPOL Secretariat.
(4) The conclusions of the Council of 24 February 2005 therefore called for the aforementioned amendments to be implemented, which makes it necessary to repeal Decision 2000/820/JHA and to replace it by a new Council Decision concerning CEPOL.
(5) CEPOL should continue to function as a network, linking national training institutes whose tasks include the training of senior police officers of the Member States, in accordance with the general principles as laid down in Decision 2000/820/JHA.
(6) CEPOL should carry out its tasks by progressive stages...
etc.
http://eur-lex.europ
a.eu/LexUriServ/LexU
riServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2
005:256:0063:01:EN:H
TML
bickyboy
says...
7:03pm Fri 26 Oct 12
I'm not sure how many criminals will be quaking in their boots at the introduction of Police Commissioners, but I reckon the number whose activities are likely to be curtailed by the move from police authorities to PCs will be somewhere between 0 and 1.
A blatant and cynical attempt to put a mendaciously positive spin on law and order policy at a time when police numbers are being slashed as never before.
johnbrace
says...
7:31pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Councillors are elected with a thousand or two or three and MPs with tens of thousands.
How many do you want the winning PCC candidate to get half a million votes, as that'd require a ~40%+ turnout.
Bear in mind some people on the electoral roll or dead, have moved before polling day or are incapable of voting in person (in police custody, on holiday etc)....
Spiffy
says...
3:25pm Sat 27 Oct 12
David Scott wrote:I have already voted for UK Law to be upheld, the rights of British Citizens to be respected and for me and mine (as British Citizens) to be protected directly from criminals and from any and all threats or consequences of criminal behaviour. This is a fundamental, longstanding "Right" yet it is being treated as a "sweetener" to entice votes. Oh and people are actually falling for it. Astonishing.
As they say, if you don't vote you can't really complain later. We are stuck with these posts for some years ahead.
Which candidate is most likely to stand up for the long-term interests of the British people?
...
Most people have already voted for it and a minimum of twice over in both the General Election and in Local Elections. How many times should anyone be expected to do so, really ?
...
Albert Einstein defined Insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Continually voting for the rearrangement of deckchairs on The Titanic is just one example.
...
The position of a Police Commissioner is obviously and evidently superfluous to all legal and financial requirements. I will not vote and I will complain.
...
So there :p
David Scott
says...
10:53pm Sat 27 Oct 12
Hugo1008
says...
2:58pm Sun 28 Oct 12
The vote came out in favour of a directly elected mayor by a good majority.
But the Council rejected that Democratic decision by saying the total result did not reflect the population numbers.
I wonder will the same be applicable in this case. What is your bet.
bickyboy
says...
5:31pm Sun 28 Oct 12
johnbrace wrote:If its less than fifty per cent turnout then like the vast majority of General Elections it's still not a genuine mandate. If it's as low as twenty per cent it's a joke. They haven't sold this idea to me; I can't identify any genuine advantages in the election of PCs which will satisfy anything but the most superficial window dressing requirements of a cynical government which is determined to introduce policing on the cheap.
At 20% turnout that's still ~431,000 voters across Merseyside. So if a candidate has 50% of that it's at least 215,500 which is certainly a mandate.
Councillors are elected with a thousand or two or three and MPs with tens of thousands.
How many do you want the winning PCC candidate to get half a million votes, as that'd require a ~40%+ turnout.
Bear in mind some people on the electoral roll or dead, have moved before polling day or are incapable of voting in person (in police custody, on holiday etc)....
As to whether I will vote, that rather depends on whether Donald Duck can raise the five grand in time or not.
johnbrace says...
10:36am Tue 23 Oct 12
k on or around Friday 26th October 2012.