UK Police Commissioner Elections?

So, has anybody in the UK heard anything about these?

Polling day is apparently November 15th, but neither myself nor any of my family or friends has seen or heard of any literature explaining what we’re voting on, who’s standing or what they pledge to do.

For those not in the know: last year our beloved Coalition passed the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, which transfers control of police forces in England and Wales to elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

I haven’t met a single Joe Public who actually wants these elections. They want coppers doing their job, not politicians telling coppers how to do their job.

On reflection, I think I haven’t received any literature myself because I live in London, but I have friends the length and breadth of the country who haven’t heard anything, either.

I suspect turnout is going to be appalling.

So, UKers - will you vote? How will you vote? And do you think this whole exercise is worth it?

I’ve had a couple of mail shots and seen a (manipulative) TV ad’

I am not voting. I do not want the old bill politicised.

This is the first election of any sort I won’t be voting in. I hope (and expect) that the turn out will be lousy, I wonder how the Tories will spin that?

Yeah, I did a double take when I did read the title, I thought, Police Commissioners elected…in the UK???

There are some offices where then officials should NOT be elected. Judges, senior police officials etc. Responsible to elected bodies? Sure. Elected themselves? Hell no.

I have heard rumours that the expected turnout (in the area where I have sources) is around 19%.

I hope if Labour get back in in the next election they repeal it.

You kidding? This is something Labour rank and file would love.

We’ve had some literature and our polling cards through the door, but nothing on the actual candidates.

I guess I should look them up. One moment…

…Nothing on the Cambridgeshire police website…

…Ah, here we are, http://www.choosemypcc.org.uk/

…I thought it wasn’t supposed to be a political position, but they’ve listed their parties next to the candidates, of which there are 7 in Cambridgeshire…

[ul][li]Ansar Ali (Independent) - wants to increase confidence in the police, reduce re-offending and improve efficiency.[/li][li]Sir Graham Bright (Conservative) - wants to increase co-operation and improve efficiency.[/li][li]Paul Bullen (UKIP) - wants more bobbies on the beat and tougher sentencing.[/li][li]Stephen Goldspink (English Democrats) - more bobbies on the beat, lock 'em up and have less emphasis on motoring offences in statistics. He both wants a zero-tolerance attitude to petty crime and to allow officers to use their discretion with minor offences, which seems contradictory.[/li][li]Farooq Mohammed (Independent) - wants transparency and social inclusion but also zero tolerance.[/li][li]Rupert Moss-Eccardt (Liberal Democrats) - wants to work closely with first-time offenders to prevent recidivism. Also has the scariest picture.[/li][li]Ed Murphy (Labour) - wants crime prevention, fair funding and to put victims first. Also couldn’t resist having a dig at the Tories.[/ul][/li]
I’m pleasantly surprised - only two real “string 'em up” candidates. I would lean towards the Lib Dem candidate were it not for the fact that I don’t want to vote for one specific party, so my vote’s going to Ansar Ali. His page is a bit wishy-washy, but I don’t think they’re going to be allowed to do anything that has consequence so that probably won’t be an issue

I’m not convinced about the actual effectiveness of this whole thing, but I don’t want the only voters to be the type of person whose knee-jerk reaction to crime is to ship the poor people off to the colonies and stop police harassing decent, upstanding citizens who need to do 50 in a 30 zone.

Drat. I was hoping they would :frowning:

They should be elected, but not as at present: they have damn all powers and are effectively sinecures. When an officer fucks up, I want the elected official to be able to suspend, fire, or demote that officer on the spot. And I want the elected official to be wholly responsible for the police. Not a power-sharing arrangement with the local Chief Constable, the Home Secretary, and the Unitary Authority.

Not if many of the PCCs are their placemen.

Don’t ever move to Texas. 2/3 of this year’s ballot in my home county seemed to be judgeships. Most of those were Republicans running unopposed, so I’m not sure what the point is.

I noticed there’s apparently some high-level national office up for grabs as well. Some rich white guy and some skinny black dude. Not sure what that’s about, haven’t seen any mention of it on the boards.

Just what we need. More Politicians. I am kind of inclined to think that people in these sort of roles should just worry about doing their job and not about doing what they think will make them most popular.

I won’t be voting.

Polling card went straight in the bin.

Sorry, that’s just not going to happen. It doesn’t even happen here in the USA, we’re there’s an obession with directly electing all manner of governtment officals from judges to clerks to tax assesors to state cabinet members the officials in charge of running elections. Often in partisan elections too. Look at Maricopa County, AZ. There’s a shining example of law enforcement that’s directly accountable to the voters.

Maybe, but it’s what I want.

I met a candidate today! He gave me a leaflet and some cards. His main policy, according to the leaflet, is to get schools to sponsor the police so they can afford to buy horses and reintroduce the mounted police. Finally, someone talking sense!

Also, got into a big argument with a coworker because she’s intending to vote “because I always do” and intends to choose between the candidates via the method of “eenie meenie”. Bloody election.

I’m not sure if you’re joking, but I’m in Milton Keynes and I see mounted police* quite often. Are there none in London?

This is almost me, I have never missed a vote and it feels weird that the only way I can express my view is to not participate and hope everyone else that feels this way does the same.

We have two independent candidates, I might have considered voting for an independent if there was only one. With two the “non-political” vote will be split.

*and occasionally “evidence” of mounted police passing through.

You do see mounted police in London quite often. This is in the west end anyway.

Not entirely sure it’s something we really need more of though.

This is Nottinghamshire, and apparently they were the first thing to go in the recent cuts.

I think it’s defensible from an anarchist/direct democracy standpoint: that the people are capable of administering their own affairs and don’t need an unaccountable beneficent overseer to determine their actions for them. I met someone at OLSX who firmly believed that the most important political changes which could occur in the country were the election of the constabulary and the application of the principles of the Magna Carta (he struck me as a bit of an embittered conservative/Romanticist). I also met someone there vehemently opposed to direct democracy and desirous of the electoral system to be less transparent and less participatory - he did bring up good points about how “direct democracy” has been subverted for partisan gain in the US, with ballot proposals often coming down to which side has a greater advertising expenditure. I’ve slightly attenuated my own views on the matter in light of his arguments: a country with an entrenched and can still practice direct democracy, just that in order to change constitutional provisions a greater proportion of the electorate than a simple plurality must be required.

Edit: Of course, actual engagement (discussion and debate) and education are critical components of any democratic society. One of my friends recently graduated with a first in Criminology and is doing her Masters at Cambridge, I’ll ask her advice about the most effective strategies in reducing recidivism.