Thursday night we go to the polls to vote for a new Staffordshire Police Commissioner - do you feel informed enough to vote?

Election statement:

 The role of Police & Crime Commissioner is about new ideas, fresh thinking and bringing the public’s view to make policing in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent more visible, responsive and accountable to local people.

It’s about freeing police officers from burdensome bureaucracy to do what they were trained for – catching criminals, cutting crime and making Staffordshire safer. In these difficult times it’s about achieving more policing with fewer resources so that crime keeps falling. Is that possible? Yes, it absolutely is!

My background building a business from scratch, strong public service ethos and recent responsibility for a £300 million budget at Staffordshire County Council has given me the experience and insight needed to be an effective PCC. With so many organisations involved in community safety, supporting victims and the wider criminal justice system, my experience building complex coalitions across sensitive public services would be important to developing a more joined up, effective system.       

There are those who simply want to use this election to oppose shrinking budgets but I’m focused on Staffordshire’s future and making the most of the money available by tackling issues that matter to you.

My priorities include:

• Using technology to let police officers be police officers, not stuck behind desks
• Moving resources from detecting crime to preventing it
• Treating victims of crime as people, not just a crime number
• Tougher policing of prolific offenders if they can’t or won’t reform
• Cracking down on irresponsible Licensees, anti-social drinking and behaviour
• Fast and transparent justice with greater use of restorative measures 

I will be a PCC for all of Staffordshire with the experience and determination to make sure we have effective and accountable policing across our diverse county. Read more at www.tellmatthew.org 

Prepared by election agent Abi Brown, Unit 32 Blythe Park, Cresswell, Staffordshire ST11 9RD.

Election statement:

The public in Staffordshire want a Police Service that is based firmly in the community and is directly accountable to them.  I am firmly committed to those principles.  I am proud of our Police. I will not interfere with the operational independence of the Chief Constable. 

If I become Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner my priorities will include:

·        Fighting the 20% cut to Staffordshire’s Police budget

·        Taking a hard line against anti-social behaviour by establishing a taskforce to ensure that victims get a rapid response

·        Putting victims before criminals and ensuring that victims get the support they need

·        Taking Domestic Violence seriously

·        Working with local councils and voluntary groups to steer young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour

·        Tackling alcohol misuse and the effect it has on communities

·        Making sure that Staffordshire residents get value for money in their Police Service 

As a local councillor and Staffordshire Police Authority member I know the importance of community safety. Neighbourhood policing and Police Community Support Officers have been a huge success. The Conservative-led government are putting all this at risk. We have already lost 213 officers in Staffordshire, by 2015 this will be as high as 395 fewer officers. 

I am born and bred in Staffordshire.  I know the area and I know what people want in their Police Service.  That is why I am committed to keeping as many bobbies on the beat as possible and why I am taking a strong stance against anti-social behaviour.

 Prepared and promoted by George Sinnott, 4 Eastgate Court, North Walls, Stafford, ST16 3AB, on behalf of Joy Garner, 57 Greenbank Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST6 7EX.