Police and Crime Commissioner elections on Thursday 2nd May: a guide

Don’t forget to bring a form of photo ID to be able to vote on the day!

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It’s the local elections next Thursday – and in this part of the world they are for the Police and Crime Commissioner; with a little more information provided by the returning officer.

Interestingly, the multimedia hub for the Devon & Cornwall Police & Crime Commissioner is somewhat biased towards the current incumbent, with lots of good news stories and promises of further good things to come. Fore example: “My term ends with record officer numbers and 13 more police enquiry offices“

On the other hand, Local Democracy Reporter Lee Trewhela gives a very handy overview of the three candidates standing to become new Devon and Cornwall PCC:

VOTERS will go to the polls on Thursday, May 2 to choose a new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The core mission of PCCs revolves around cutting crime and delivering an efficient and responsive police service within their designated areas. Elected by the public, the commissioners are entrusted with the responsibility of holding Chief Constables and their police forces accountable on behalf of the communities they serve. This encompasses a range of duties, including setting the police budget to ensure effective allocation of resources, appointing Chief Constables to lead local police forces and actively engaging with the public and victims of crime to shape police and crime plans. PCCs also work closely with local councils and community organisations to identify and address the specific needs and challenges of their areas.

We have already published in-depth features on each of the three candidates, and here’s a quick overview on each of their pledges and aims…

The three Police and Crime Commissioner candidates for Devon and Cornwall – from left, Steve Lodge, Alison Hernandez and Daniel Steel

Here are those profiles:

Alison Hernandez, Conservative: Tackling domestic violence and rural crime will be PCC’s priorities if re-elected 

Steve Lodge, Liberal Democrats: Businessman and accountant with hopes to become Police and Crime Commissioner

Daniel Steel, Labour: Meet the former diplomat standing as Labour’s Police and Crime Commissioner candidate

And here are their declarations of ‘why you should vote for us’ from two days ago.

Finally, over the previous couple of weeks, there have been regular pieces in the local and regional press – including the challenges for the new Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner.

And perhaps the most important information issued by the local media is that residents have issued with a warning ahead of PCC elections – that they will need to show a form of photo ID to be able to vote on the day.

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