The first ever Police & Crime Commissioner Elections took place today in Abingdon and across the nation.
I voted at the Guildhall and was the only voter there at 8:10 p.m and so do not expect many people to be disenfranchised because of possible queues.
There were 6 candidates standing in the Thames Valley Police Area. The winning candidate will be accountable for how crime is tackled here.
Haven’t voted – have received absolutely nothing – no booklet that every household was supposed to get, nothing from any of the candidates, so how are we supposed to know who to vote for? I know I could search the internet, but why should I?
i always vote – didn’t vote in this though.
common sense says the police commisioner should be a promoted policeman/woman chosen by their peers.
I got the details of the candidates through the internet. I don’t like the fact that the Polilce Commisioner post is politicised. There are rumours that this is a pre-curser to privatisation of the police forces.
Always vote. ALWAYS vote. Even if you disapprove of the election, or don’t know the candidates, or disapprove of all of them–go and vote. Spoil your paper as a protest if necessary, but BE COUNTED. ALWAYS make the effort. So many people made so many sacrifices, only just out of living memory, to include the entire adult population in the electorate. Not voting is an insult to our own history.
I voted: in spite of getting no information from three of the candidates. All I knew I got from the local radio broadcast (repeat) at which one candidate turned up late. Spoiling ones ballot paper probably does no good. Although the spoiled papers are apparently counted, they are probably not analysed to see who spoiled them deliberately. As to ‘political’ candidates, I wonder if affiliating to a party is the only way of getting support in, for example, printing and delivering leaflets? Like Janet I DO NOT like the ‘party-politicisation’ of the election.
I got details of the Candidates from the Online web page,
and read an article in Oxford Mail. I always vote, with such a low turnout, I can see if my Vote does work, and the Candidates I chose.
The ‘politicising’ of the whole thing, doesn’t sit well with me. All of them offer similar ideas, so very difficult choice.
without worrying which party now has the PCC to add to its Portfolio. (At the next election I am sure they will use that fact).
Not made any easier by hearing on the radio, such a small turnout it ‘defaulted’ to the 2 Conservative in that particular ‘Ward’/County.
I hope that they do ‘honour’ what they said, or will they have to cut through miles of Red Tape to do so. Not sure how much ‘power’ will they have?.
Read that there will be an enquiry into the low turnout, how much will that cost??.
I suspect it would have been far better to vote for a member of an elected Police Authority on a District or County basis, Authorities then becoming proportionate in size to their constabulary areas.
Elections could have been held with District or County Council Elections, ensuring a reasonable turnout and greater degree of voter attention. It wouldn’t matter if the date of all Districts / Counties were not aligned as it would come “good” in a cycle and allow a sensible transition from the existing appointed (unelected) Police Authorities.
As it is now, Wiltshire with 1,100 officers (£100M budget) gets a P&CC just as Thames Valley does with 4,200 officers (£360M budget).
It’s not clear to me how a single representative, in an area as large and intrinsically diverse as the Thames Valley (covering Slough, Newbury, Milton Keynes, and Banbury), can express the true experiences and concerns of people living in areas of high physical and personal theft crimes such as Reading and Oxford with those of areas fortunate to have of some of the lowest crime rates in England (VoWH, West Oxford).
The residents of Blackbird Lees (236 crimes reported within 1 mile in September 2012) and Cippenham, Slough (200 crimes in September) are now represented by a resident of Kintbury, Hungerford (4 crimes within 1 mile of Kintbury in September). The figures stated here are taken from the government crime mapping website http://www.police.uk
I have no reason to believe anything bad of nor have I heard anything against Anthony Stansfeld as an individual. I wish him well in the role and look forward to being a better position to cast a vote at the next election. However, for the reasons above, I for one would have preferred a more representative body.
More info on the new P&CC, who openly declares in his P&CC entry that he is a member of West Berkshire District Council and as such it cannot be unreasonable to link to, can be found under Anthony Stansfeld’s West Berkshire Councillor entry at:
http://decisionmaking.westberks.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=161
What will, and I suspect thankfully from the Governments perspective, never be known or shown is the proportion of the 86.7% of eligible voters who stayed away did so out of:
1) Apathy
2) Lack of information
3) Deliberate abstention
This was a shambles. We didn’t receive a single communication from any of the candidates. For those with political support, it is inexcusable. For those without it’s still disappointing, though perhaps understandable. Not one of the candidates put forward a compelling case for being elected. None the less, I voted simply because it’s my right to do so and my right to show that political parties shouldn’t take any of their supporters for granted.
Who is going to get the push for organising this woeful election and the associated waste of our money? Don’t hold your breath.
The election cost, according to the BBC, £100 million. Westminster will regard that as small change.
However, I remember that my father asked me a (when I was about ten years old) how much I thought a million pounds was. What a daft question! I just knew it would supply my dreams for ever. He then told me that if he gave me a pound every minute, day and night, it would take nearly two years hand over a million.
It’s a lot of money for an exercise that has not engaged the electorate….
13.3% turnout in Oxfordshire of which 3.3% were spoilt (including mine I might add).
I’m an active conservative, but I’m afraid I wholly oppose this policy which I think is faddism.
The police are already democratically accountable to the Home Secretary, and I don’t see why we need yet another politician in the loop – there’s already too many of us.
Currently if you have a problem you can go to:
– one of the 3 town councillors for your parish
– one of the 2 district councillors for your ward
– your county councillor
– your MEP
– your MP
– and now your Police Commissioner
That’s 9 people. I’ve nothing against the people who do these roles (I’m one of them and by and large they are a conscientious and dedicated bunch) but it’s incredibly confusing for people which I can’t see as a good thing.
I have read and heard that the election was party-politicised. Well, I delivered to hundreds of homes on behalf of John Howson, but inevitably some streets will have been missed. I am not aware that any of the parties played ‘politics’ with their material, but am prepared to be disabused.
Pat, the fact that the candidates stood under politcal banners made it political. What a shambles. . It shouldn’t have happened. I have never not voted in all my voting life, but I was sorely torn this time. In the end I thought I only have myself to blame if the wrong person gets elected, so i voted ….. and the wrong person got elected 🙁 (imho)
I always vote and take a keen interest in politics. However, while I was well aware that it was happening in areas of the UK, the fact that there was a police commissioner election in Abingdon complete escaped me. No material received at all.