Many people have only just cottoned on to
the fact that elections for police and crime
commissioners will be held in just a month’s time.
And as people seem a bit vague on what it's all about, we are bringing you this quick guide to the elections ...
On November 15 the public of
North Wales and in 41 other police areas across England and Wales will go to
the polls to elect the first Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).
The Government’s intention in introducing these reforms to police
governance is to give the public a direct say in policing in their area through
the ballot box.
The Role
The PCC will hold police forces and Chief Constables to account.
PCCs will set local policing priorities and decide how your council tax
is spent on crime and policing issues, including the level of council tax that
is raised for policing (the policing precept). As well as planning policing
budgets PCCs will also:
- drive community safety and overall security in
the area
- work with local partnerships and national and
regional criminal justice agencies and services
- build and foster relationships with the Chief
Constable and community groups to achieve common goals
- contribute to national policing capabilities
Responsibilities
PCCs will be elected for four years and will be required to publish a
police and crime plan. This will set out the police and crime objectives of the
force area.
Chief constables will remain responsible for operational matters,
however PPCs will have the authority to hire and, if necessary, dismiss the
chief constable.
Scrutiny
PCCs will be scrutinised by Police and Crime Panels (PCPs), which will
be formed of a minimum of 10 representatives from the local authorities in the
force area. The duties of the panel include:
- requiring the PCC to respond to any concerns
they have
- making recommendations on the crime plan and
annual reports
- confirming or vetoing the PCC's appointment of chief constable and the level of local tax (the precept level)
Pay
In North Wales - £70,000 p.a.
Who can stand for election?
Candidates must:
- be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen
- be 18 years of age or over
- be resident in the police force area
While the final list of candidates will be
announced on October 19, those who have announced their candidacy so far are:
TAL MICHAEL - Labour
Former chief executive of North Wales Police
Authority who resigned in order to run for the Labour nomination.
He is a Welsh speaker and believes the role of
commissioner is to be a bridge between the community and the police.
He has pledged to focus on victims who most need
help and to ensure that when people are let down that the police apologises and
takes action to ensure it does not happen again.
Mr Michael, who lives in Colwyn Bay, also says he
would fight for "fair resources" from the UK government.
RICHARD HIBBS - Independent
A businessman who has lived in Llandudno for 18 years, he is a Welsh
learner and runs a national training programme for mental health professionals
in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
He says he will be independent of party politics
He has pledged to be tough on bureaucracy and would
bring in a Scandinavian-style zero tolerance on drugs and excessive drinking.
He also says he would provide police stations where
members of the public actually want them.
COLM McCABE - Conservatives
Born in County Tipperary, Ireland, he runs a
charity which teaches life skills to young people through sport, and a former
chief officer for the Special Constabulary in North Wales.
He says his priorities will be to reduce crime and
make North Wales' communities safer places to live through tackling anti-social
behaviour, reckless and dangerous driving, and by taking a zero tolerance
approach to drugs.
He said he looked forward to campaigning and
meeting residents to discuss their views on policing in the area.
WARWICK NICHOLSON - UKIP
Born in Salford in
Greater Manchester, is a retired police officer who served with Greater Manchester
Police for 31 years.
He now lives on a farm in Cyffylliog, Denbighshire,
and is a part-time caretaker at Ysgol Cyffylliog.
He says his priorities are re-engaging the police
and the public and to ensure the chief constable is free from political
interference.
He says he will also examine the role of chief
constables.* For more information, see the website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/police-crime-commissioners/
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