Police and Crime Commissioner

I am unable to say much about candidates for the election in November of the Police and Crime Commissioner in view of my role as Chair of Dorset Community Safety Partnership (CSP). Naturally as a Conservative I have my views but further than that would, I think, be prejudicial. I do however see the importance of this election in being part of the change from top down centralist targeting in terms of crime and disorder reduction to a more bottom up evidence based system at the heart of which is the democratic imperative. This is how we went about our business some five years ago when we set about restructuring the CSP and combining all the Districts and Boroughs and County into one strategic partnership and setting the executive the tasks based on ward/ locality evidence. Now across Dorset, CSP establish evidence based strategic directions and a common (across Dorset) but local approach is taken to establishing local priorities (I call it locality working). All of this is linked to an overall reporting structure which constantly assesses and reassesses performance. At the heart of it is the influence of Councillors who driven by their statutory responsibilities oversee the effect at community level. So the democratic imperative drives the partnership with Police, Fire, Probation and other agencies as well as the all important voluntary sector. The executive (the plan delivery group) proceeds based on agreed directions established by the partnership and reports on cause and effect on a quarterly basis. Making the PCC an elected body fits in well with this model putting the electorate first. Further it will assist in bringing about an even greater emphasis on partnership with all agencies including the Criminal Justice and Health and Wellbeing Boards and others in bringing a common strategic direction and an improvement in cross agency communications. It will also bring some commonality to the situation in the conurbation and the rest of Dorset. So make sure you vote!