On the 6th of May Staffordshire residents
go to the polls to elect their next
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Why I’m standing to be your next Commissioner

​

Politics needs to be kept out of policing, that’s why I’m standing to be your Independent Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. A Commissioner is the voice of the people, not a voice controlled by a political party. More and more we are witnessing our police becoming politicised. When officers join the service, they swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen, not to the Prime Minister or to a political party. As the only independent candidate standing in this election, I stand to represent you, not to push forward the views and ideology of a political party. I will ensure Staffordshire Police and Fire services stay free of any party political influence and that they serve you, the public.

My background

I was born and raised in Burton on Trent and have a deep affection for my hometown and for the County of Staffordshire, I want what’s best for all of us. I possess a very strong sense of public duty, having chosen to have two public sector careers, spanning three decades. The first in our Royal Air Force and the second in the Metropolitan Police Service. I am also an elected Independent Councillor to East Staffordshire Borough Council. I’m committed to serving you and our community.

My commitment to you

As a former police officer, I know how crime can damage communities and destroy people’s lives.
You deserve to feel safe and protected in your own homes and on the streets.

My priorities as Commissioner include:

• Focusing on crime prevention and driving down crime but I also want to ensure that should anyone of you become the victim of crime you get a speedy response, a proper investigation into the offences committed against you and satisfaction knowing your offender is brought to justice. I know many of you feel you get a raw deal from a service you’re paying for; I want to change that.
   

• Fighting for an increased funding deal to invest in frontline policing by putting more warranted police officers on our streets to fight crime and keep our communities safe. Due to government funding cuts, Staffordshire police has lost nearly 600 officers in the past decade, this is in addition to the loss of many civilian support staff. This has had a devastating impact on the service's ability to keep the people of Staffordshire safe. I will fight for a much greater share of the promised 20,000 new police officers announced by government and for an increase to the Home Office’s annual grant for Staffordshire. 
   

• Adopting a clear strategy to tackle serious and violent crimes. Focusing on burglary, knife crime, county lines drug dealing, protecting women and victims of domestic abuse and protecting the elderly and vulnerable against fraud and cybercrime.
   

• Making the victims of crime a priority by ensuring they get the services and support they need through the commissioning of local services tailored to help victims of crime, ensuring they are supported throughout the criminal justice process and have access to the support services that they need to help them cope and recover. I will do this by working in close partnership with other stakeholders, such as local authorities, health services, specialist third sector organisations and charities.
   

• Ordering a review on the merger of police and fire services to ensure it's working effectively and isn’t disadvantaging the Fire and Rescue Service. In 2018, the PCC became responsible for the governance of the fire and rescue services within Staffordshire. It followed the PCC’s submission of a business case to the home secretary to take over governance in line with the government’s own drive to integrate blue light emergency services. I want to make sure the merger is working effectively and to the benefit of the residents of Staffordshire and to the Fire and Rescue Service itself. If I’m not convinced then it will be reviewed.