TST Police Crime Comissioner Elections 2012

[Dan]

I voted for an independent as I don't think party politics should be involved with the PCC. She also used to be a detective sergeant so she won't have much work to do to get up to speed with the structure and processes

 

[Tom]

I'm not concerned which party people represent, so I just voted for the most hardline candidate, who happened to be a UKIP.

 

[Sam]

I'm not concerned which party people represent, so I just voted for the most hardline candidate, who happened to be a UKIP.

It's terrifying that votes like this (for UKIP) might actually cause far-right candidates to win. Maybe I should have voted at least to stop that happening, but I can't bring myself to do it. This election is too absurd.

 

[josht]

Yes I've just voted (keeping the vote to my self) but I was the 45th person since 7 o'clock this morning at my polling station

 

[Tom]

I'm not concerned which party people represent, so I just voted for the most hardline candidate, who happened to be a UKIP.

It's terrifying that votes like this (for UKIP) might actually cause far-right candidates to win. Maybe I should have voted at least to stop that happening, but I can't bring myself to do it. This election is too absurd.

They will not be able to execute their dream of leaving the EU by having police commissioners and if they use the position to promote that view they'll be kicked out. I live in an aggressive and violent area and I voted for whom I thought could best tackle that, it's as simple as that.

This is about policing issues, not whoever is right wing, left wing, chicken wing or whatever in other areas.

 

[Meat Pie]

Guess you have no problems with the right wing proposals of privatising the police G4S style? Or your local police force being run as a profit making company, rather than a service to protect the public?

It's hard to prioritise crime if you are a hardline anti-public-services and cuts party.

Not to mention UKIP is completely ignorant about the correlation between social issues of inequality and crime. They are the sort of complete idiots who just think severe punishment is the cure for dealing with crime. If that were the case, than crime would have been solved in the Victorian era.

 

[James]

I didn't vote as it's just been the shoddiest election ever. I only found out about it two days ago when I drove past a polling station!

If I did vote though I would have gone for Labour.

 

[Tom]

Guess you have no problems with the right wing proposals of privatising the police G4S style? Or your local police force being run as a profit making company, rather than a service to protect the public?

It's hard to prioritise crime if you are a hardline anti-public-services and cuts party.

Not to mention UKIP is completely ignorant about the correlation between social issues of inequality and crime. They are the sort of complete idiots who just think severe punishment is the cure for dealing with crime. If that were the case, than crime would have been solved in the Victorian era.

Forgive me, but I won't get into a debate over party issues. The policies you mention may concern the police, but again a commissioner is not in the right position to implement such things. It's also virtually pointless trying to engage people in debates unless you're aware of the specific candidate in their region.

 

[Meat Pie]

You obviously haven't got a clue what the role of Police and Crime Commissioner is otherwise you would realise that what I said in my last post has everything to do with this election.

Police and Crime Commissioners will hold the 'police fund' from which all policing is financed. Cuts will be ordered by the Government and then these will be handed to the Commissioner who decides exactly where the axe will fall, much like local Councillors. If you vote for a candidate that comes from a hard-line right wing party that supports privatisation of public services then chances are, they will deliver privatisation of public services.

The other main role of the Commissioner is to devise and implement 'Police and Crime Plans' which determines how crime is tackled. If you vote for a candidate from a hard-line right wing party that refutes the use of preventative social measures and promotes the exclusive use of failing post-crime deterrents, then it's not a massive leap of the imagination to expect that that is what the candidate will implement in power.

Edit >> Sazzle >> removed the last line of text due to provocative nature.

 

[Jonathan]

I've just voted. Well, when I say voted, I just wrote 'Why bother?' on my polling card. The polling station in my village has had a wonderfully high turnout of five percent. FIVE. There's no point with these elections whatsoever.

 

[Tom]

I've just voted. Well, when I say voted, I just wrote 'Why bother?' on my polling card. The polling station in my village has had a wonderfully high turnout of five percent. FIVE. There's no point with these elections whatsoever.

Respect to you for that.

However, maybe interest will grow after the first terms have been served and people can be judged on results?

 

[delta79]

only one candidate did advertising of himself. Bill Longmore an independent. a retired police officer.

 

[pluk]

I was not allowed to have an opinion on this or say anything that could be considered influential towards any candidate or voting action.

Now the polls are closed however: what a pointless expensive nonsense this whole thing is. I can totally understand people having no interest in the election or casting their vote, but that is dangerous if the few that do bother have an extreme or crazy view. There is a candidate in my area who's main election pledge was to put up a St Georges Cross in every police station. I kid you not. This is scary stuff if that is what the person in charge thinks would solve the problems in policing.

If I had been able to have an opinion to suggest to people before now it would have been this:
-Vote independent. Policing should be entirely impartial from a political perspective.
-Vote for someone previously in the police force. If you don't know how something really works how can you run or fix it? They are also much more likely to know the real deep problems that run through policing that have been imposed by years of government interference which they could have the power to finally solve.
-Vote for anyone against privatisation of the police in any way. You can not make the service cheaper to provide by building profit into it and police need to be answerable to the public, not a shareholder wanting their cut of a traffic fine. G4S turning up to your house while you being burgled anyone?

I'm just hoping people are sensible enough to have thought of these things rather than just voting for whoever it is they usually do in a general election, this should not be about that. In our area there were two independents, which concerns me they'll split the sensible vote and someone else will get it.

Whether you get a good one or not, this whole thing seems stupid to me. Every four years someone else comes in with all their new ideas and changes everything. Change is expensive to implement and disrupts police just trying to get on with it. We waste enough time constantly 'reforming' round in circles as it is, this will just cause more of it.

Will be interesting to see how the results go though, shouldn't take them long to count them up by the sounds of it!

 

[John]

Wiltshire is the only area where counting is taking place overnight. Initial reports suggest a turnout of 10-15%. I'll certainly be keeping an eye on the national turnout - chances are it'll be the biggest talking point of the election.

 

[Jonathan]

Turnout from areas declared so far is around the 15% mark, so it's what we were expecting, really.

EDIT: We have a polling station with ZERO votes, people! It's in the Bettws ward near Newport.

 

[pluk]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20354044

BREAKING NEWS In Essex, Conservative Nick Alston takes the role after second preference votes were counted.
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Oh dear, what have we done?