On Thursday 2nd May we have the opportunity to choose the next Police and Crime Commissioner to lead Devon and Cornwall Police Force. The job of a Police and Crime Commissioner is to ensure an effective policing operation. His or her job is to shape the priorities of the police based on what we, the public, raise as a priority or concern. An example of this in Cornwall (under our current Police and Crime Commissioner) is the Safer Towns Initiative that was set up in 10 towns that were experiencing high levels of antisocial behaviour and criminal behaviour. The initiative brought together community representatives and public sector partners to tackle the causes of the crime and antisocial behaviour and make it clear that it was not welcome. Initiatives such as this have contributed to Devon and Cornwall being recorded as the safest places to live and work in England and Wales in 2023.
The Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Henandez, has also reopened ‘front desks’ at a number of police stations and has been a strong advocate for TriService Officers who work across health, fire and policing to provide a much closer presence in a local community. The role of a TriService officer is to provide early intervention to prevent a situation escalating and offer an operational response on behalf of the police, fire and rescue and NHS services. From my experience I know how valuable these TriService Officers are to the communities they work in as they can spearhead a joined-up response to concerns that could range from the care of a vulnerable person or tackling a developing antisocial behaviour problem. An example of how the Police and Crime Commissioner can help is that on two occasions in recent months Alison Hernandez has joined me in West Penwith to discuss issues of drug dealing and drug-related offences. Her ability to piece together tools that are available to tackle this problem gives us a fighting chance of getting on top of this dangerous trade and protecting young lives. Another key part of Alison’s work has been the Vision Zero Road Safety effort to halve fatal collisions by 2030. For us in Cornwall, there is a risk that voter engagement or ‘turn-out’ could be very low. In Devon there are local elections in Plymouth and Exeter so it is likely that people will vote in greater numbers and cast their vote for the Police and Crime Commissioner at the same time. We just have the one vote. It is really important that we do get out and vote.
West Cornwall is easily forgotten when it comes to distributing police numbers and resources. As the Member of Parliament, I’ve done everything possible to secure our fair share and Alison Henandez has engaged positively in this effort. Whatever, the result on Thursday next week, it would be good to know that West Cornwall had our say in choosing who represents us when policing priorities are set. Polling stations open from 7am to 10pm Thursday 2nd of May.
