Who should be next Police Commissioner for South Yorks?

[sgtkate 10]

http://www.choosemypcc.org.uk/candidates/area/south-yorkshire

 

Well that's a great choice. I was going to vote for an independent but as there aren't any I'm stumped. I want to vote in the aftermath of Rotherham but I'm not going to vote for UKIP or the English Democrats thanks...leaving Tory or Labour. Joy of joys. So do I vote with my political leanings and stay with Labour or do I switch to Tories as a protest vote over how rubbishly Labour handled the Rotherham crisis? I might just end up not voting which depresses me.

[Minimo 59]

I too am disappointed that our only choices are all political. So the best thing is to put that to one side and look at each candidate's profile. experience etc.

 

On that basis I have made a choice, and hope I won't be disappointed.

[Stranza 10]

Same here.

I was hoping that recent events would encourage some independent choices with a real interest.

 

So far I've gone back to asking my Da who he fancies for the job

[PeteMorris 10]

Well...looking at the profiles, I can only see one that 'apparently' was a bobby for 30 years. So he's probably got more of an idea than the rest of them put together....

 

I can't believe that one say's he doesn't have any experience in policing or how it all works at all...and he spins that as a positive thing? Surely, you need a bit of a clue, as to how it works, or rather, should work?

[geared 303]

Well I've read them all through and quite frankly I think we're totally stuffed.

 

The Tory and English Democrat candidates are an utter joke, ones just a career politician with little experience in anything, and the other guy appears to be a sales rep?!?!?

 

The other two contradict themselves in their opening piece which doesn't really bode well for them:

 

I’m not a politician

 

Endeavour to remove political interference from SYP

 

:confused::confused:

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

It's a largely pointless and self-bureaucratising position, anyway. The sooner that PCCS are abolished, the better.

[Runningman 144]

Whilst we have a PCC then please vote !! Not voting doesn't help the fight against crime and any attempts to rectify all the problems that have surfaced re SYP.

 

Anyone with any news of the 4 candidates appearing at a public meeting to answer questions ?

[Mecky 10]

It's a largely pointless and self-bureaucratising position, anyway. The sooner that PCCS are abolished, the better.

 

But perhaps not if the government wants to politicise the police or other security forces

[Alan Ladd 10]

Met the former deputy Commissioner the other day. Labour member for some backwoods place in Barnsley.

 

Nutty as a fruit cake.

[monkey104 10]

Apart from spending £100,000 on flagpoles and new signage what has the pcc done for South Yorkshire?

A serious question.

[Alan Ladd 10]

Apart from spending £100,000 on flagpoles and new signage what has the pcc done for South Yorkshire?

A serious question.

 

It has shown the absolute paucity of quality people standing for elected office. The standard is absolutely shocking.

[Localman 10]

I think you are correct about 3 of the 4 candidates. However – and I looked back to your earlier posts – I think you have totally under-estimated the abilities and capabilities of Alan Billings.

 

I first met him, in the course of business, more than 30 years ago. He is nobody’s lackey. He is very bright, has little time for waffle; he’s determined and has high ethical standards.

 

He is intelligent as well as academically able. A PhD, former Principal of a Theological College, former Head of a University department. Several published books. R4 Thought for Today contributor.

 

He is committed. He’s been the Vicar of both inner-city and mining communities in South Yorkshire. I’m aware that he was involved in tackling anti-social behaviour issues with the local communities in both those areas. I think ‘tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’ might have been coined with him in mind.

 

He is an experienced high-level manager, used to dealing with big budgets and holding others to account.

• Until recently, he was a Board member of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, which oversees the criminal justice system for the u18s. He was also the Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee. This is no tin-pot organisation. It has a turnover of about £360m pa. (That’s more than 3 times that of Sheffield Forgemasters or Arnold Laver, or 9 times Gripple) See http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/corporate-reports/yjb/yjb-annual-report-2013.pdf

• He was also a member of the Big Lottery Fund for England. The BLF made £670m of awards to projects last year. See http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/

 

So, he has the advantage of long experience – both low- and high-level – of the criminal justice system, and remember this is the Police and Crime Commissioner, without being tainted at all by any involvement with South Yorkshire Police.

 

On any basis, he is a serious candidate.

 

Given that the Police and Crime Commissioner will have to sort out the horrific mess of failing to deal with child sexual exploitation (as well as Hillsborough and Orgreave investigations), I fail to see how anyone could seriously consider electing someone who was part of South Yorkshire Police throughout this period, albeit only rising to low-middle-management level. Although, certainly, the UKIP candidate was no big hitter. What? 30 years to become an Inspector? Not credible.