Last Saturday night I was privileged to go out on the
night shift with the local police based in St Austell who patrol south of the
A30 from Grampound to Lostwithiel. My
thanks go to the officers who took me out on patrol; they taught me a lot about
the challenges of policing in our area.
I understand that the scenes I witnessed were a
typical Saturday in mid-Cornwall and this gave me deeper understanding of the
issues that we face in our communities.
So what is a typical Saturday night for the police in our
area? It included a suspected drink driver, a domestic violence situation,
antisocial behavior and call outs for assault.
It underlined a number of issues for me.
Firstly, the important role that the police play in
keeping us all safe. We are lucky to live in one of the safest areas of the UK
and the police help to keep it that way. Secondly, it reminded me that while we
still face big challenges, overall crime is down and this is a reflection of
the great job that the police do.
On Thursday 5th May you have the
opportunity to vote for the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in Devon,
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. I urge
you to take the opportunity and to vote for this important role.
There has been a great deal of misunderstanding about
the PCC role. It was set up in 2011 in response
to the fact that the police force was seen as remote and unaccountable. The role of the PCC is to hold the local
force accountable on behalf of the public.
This is your representative, the person who can directly influence the
strategy and operations of the local force.
The PCC role brings direct democratic accountability
to policing and gives a name and a face for the public to engage with. Who can name any of the members of the
previous police board? I certainly cannot – they were a remote and faceless
body that lacked transparency.
The PCC has the responsibility of appointing the Chief
Constable, helping to set the strategic direction through the Police and Crime
Plan, and to turn the public’s crime ambitions into actions. As well as this they have wider
responsibilities that include the delivery of community safety, crime
reduction, commissioning victims’ services and a duty to deliver better value
for money.
The Conservative candidate in Thursday’s election is
Alison Hernandez and I fully support her candidacy. I know Alison well and her
6 point plan addresses all of the key issues that I believe a good PCC should
cover; to get the best funding deal; safety on our streets; safety online; to
support those affected by crime; to improve the reporting of crime especially
101 and to review the closure of police stations.
So once again I urge you to go and vote for this
important role on Thursday and help to maintain our fantastic police force.
My team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and seek to make
a real difference to the lives of everyone who needs help and support in any
way. If there is any issue that we can
help you with then please contact us on either 01726 829379 or on office@stevedouble.org.uk.
