Police Commissioner Elections

[Bibio]

so we are getting even more Chiefs and less Indians. sounds like the NHS.

Scotland is supposed to be getting a united police force.. oohhh joy

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Two local council/poltical wallah types, one of whom is a liberal type who works for the "safer stronger communities partnership" doubtless usual state funded wazzocks who've never done owt proper.

The third candidate is a retired copper and lists his political leaning as independant... seems more suitable.

Having ex-Police officers doing the job who are fully independant is really the only way the PCC position would work

[TamSV]

I agree party politics would be best left out of it, but this is one of those situations where party affiliation may not matter too much, IF you get the right candidate.

A strong enough individual in a position like this can do much that their greater party might not agree with. There's no "whip" to worry about and, if the voting public like what they're doing, there's no chance that their party would deselect them.

Look at the London Mayor. Neither Ken or Boris are cardboard cut-outs for their respective political party.

I like my politics local so I hope this is a roaring success and we emulate it in Scotland.

Is there a more general distrust of local democracy? I was surprised at the rejection of local mayors in the English regions earlier in the year. I think that was an opportunity missed.

[garynortheast]

I have the wonderful choice between two Westminster affiliated candidates - some woman from the Labour party or some Tory knob (Christopher Tangye Robert Salmon!!). I can see a spoiled ballot paper coming up.

[daveangel]

Had one leaflet about it which tells you nowt except 'it's all online', how the older generation without internet access who are likely to take the trouble to vote will find out who is standing isn't explained. It isn't going to help the fast declining numbers of boys and girls on the frontline at all, it's just another excuse for politicians to interfere with the running of the police.

[dizzyblonde]

Is that what the vote things were for? Ummm no information whatsoever about what they were for!

[squirrel_hunter]

Originally Posted by Ch00

Also looking at the website they top pay for the PCC is £100,000 which is about 4 new PCs not best value for money.

Multiplied by the number of forces... However I'm not sure how this compares with the cost of the current system, be interested to know?

Originally Posted by timwilky

To be honest I think the role is overdue. Currently we have police committees directing our police forces. Who is elected to this committee is determined by jobs for the boys within whatever local council runs your area. So at least this way, the service users get to decide who is responsible for their local plod. As such it should be free from the political infighting and petty agendas of local politics.

But how do we keep it free of political infighting if the system has resulted in the vast majority of candidates being affiliated to the mainstream parties?

Originally Posted by TamSV

Is there a more general distrust of local democracy? I was surprised at the rejection of local mayors in the English regions earlier in the year. I think that was an opportunity missed.

I don't distrust local democracy. I distrust party politicians at both local and national levels, and for good reason. On the subject of the proposals of local elected Mayors, I was pleased to see most of them failed as in my opinion they would be a total waste of time and money with no benefit.

[TamSV]

Originally Posted by squirrel_hunter

I don't distrust local democracy. I distrust party politicians at both local and national levels, and for good reason.

That's one of the reasons I like to keep them where I can see them.

I would expect the service provided by the police to be the same, or better, no matter who gets voted in to this role.

Originally Posted by squirrel_hunter

I don't distrust local democracy. I distrust party politicians at both local and national levels, and for good reason. On the subject of the proposals of local elected Mayors, I was pleased to see most of them failed as in my opinion they would be a total waste of time and money with no benefit.

Originally Posted by TamSV

That's one of the reasons I like to keep them where I can see them.

These are the reasons why the PCC that do get voted in need to be independant of party politics.

If anyone with the backing of a political party ends up in any PCC position it is just going to come down to political back-biting and a worse state of affairs for the general public & Police Force in that area