Police Commissioner Elections – Vote Alan Charles

Tomorrow will see Derbyshire go to the polls to elect its first ever Police and Crime Commissioner.

Now unlike in a parliamentary election, where everyone would at least have had one item from each candidate in the post via free post, the Government decided despite the apparent importance of this election, a minimum level of information about each candidate wasn’t needed.

The downside of this is that for an election at a difficult time of year (ie in the cold and dark of November) a lack of information about the candidates, who they are and what they are standing for is hardly likely to inspire much interest.

However despite this, there is some information available via the choosemypcc website and all the candidates, standing in Derbyshire have been interviewed by High Peak Radio (and if you didn’t hear the interviews when they were broadcast you can still listen to them by clicking here). There have also been profiles in some of the local papers and this week’s Glossop Advertiser is strangely profiling the five candidates (pic.twitter.com/PBrrwf4V)standing (even though there’s only four !).

In case you’ve not heard the according to the Home Officer website the role of the Police and Crime Commissioners will be to :

The Police and Crime Commissioners will aim to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service within the force area. They will do this by:

• holding the chief constable to account for the delivery of the force
• setting and updating a police and crime plan
• setting the force budget and precept
• regularly engaging with the public and communities
• appointing, and where necessary dismissing, the chief constable

Now despite the concerns above of the lack of information on the candidates and to a certain extent whether this basically American concept will work, it’s vitally important that Derbyshire residents have their say, and elect a commissioner who will fight for their concerns and stand up for their values.

Now in my view (as you may imagine) the candidate that can best do this in Derbyshire is the Labour candidate Alan Charles.

Alan has pledged to :

• Fight against Cameron’s 20% cut to Derbyshire’s Police budget and protect local people
• Keep Policing Public in Derbyshire – No G4S type privatisation here
• Maintain Community Policing across Derbyshire
• Protect vulnerable people and take seriously the blight of Domestic Abuse
• Make sure Derbyshire residents see value for money in their Police Service

Alan has been a county councillor since 1993, was cabinet member for Education at Derbyshire County Council from 1999 to 2009 and since 2009 a member and Vice Chair of the Derbyshire Police Authority and chair of its Professional Standards Panel so has the experience, judgement and commitment to make an excellent Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire and I would urge all local residents to take 10 minutes out of your day tomorrow and go and vote for Alan Charles to become our Police and Crime Commissioner.

If you’re a Gamesley local, the polling station is at the Geoffrey Allen Centre near the shops and voting is open from 7.00am until 10.00pm.