Candidates for Hampshire police and crime commissioner

HAMPSHIRE residents will head to the polls on 6th May to elect a new police and crime commissioner.

The PCC will have a series of responsibilities including holding the police to account and setting the police budget and police priorities which will then be published in the police and crime plan.

These are the candidates standing for PCC in Hampshire this year.

Tony Bunday, Labour

He is a specialist advisor with the Care Quality Commission and runs his own business. Over the past 40 years he worked with homeless people, young offenders and in mental health.

He said his highest priority would be “to fight for a fair share of funding resources” for the police. He said he would prioritise “a more effective and evidenced based approach to the war on drugs as well as an enhanced response to the problem of violence against women”. Mr Bunday said he would like to see a greener police force, improve public access to the force for all communities and the police’s response to them.

Steve James-Bailey, Hampshire Independents

Mr James-Bailey is a former police officer. He worked as a police officer for 23 years.

If elected, he said he would re-introduce community constables – officers in the community on a bike or foot. He pledged to focus on rural crime, have “a tough approach” to street crime and anti-social behaviour and treat victims of crime “compassionately”. He said he would make the police ” more accessible” and wants to introduce “pop up” police stations in unused retail shops and in supermarket car parks. He pledged to improve the 101 system.

Donna Jones, Conservatives

Ms Jones has been a magistrate for 16 years. From 2014 to 2018 she was the leader of Portsmouth City council.

She said she is committed to increasing police officer numbers and improving police visibility. Ms Jones said she would achieve that by opening new police stations and police front desks, by removing bureaucracy allowing officers to be on patrol more and by introducing mobile police desks in supermarkets and public buildings. She also pledged to overhaul the 101 and 999 services, to make anti-social behaviour a priority and to spend more money on youth services.

Richard Murphy, Liberal Democrats

Mr Murphy is seeking election after 30 years in business. This is the first time he is standing to be police and crime commissioner.

He pledged to focus on more funding and more crime prevention working with the police and schools “to steer young people away from crime”. He also said road safety – especially speeding – will be a priority from day one. He added: “I will fight to fix the unfair national funding formula. I will put the local policing in place that we need to make our communities safer for everyone. People want change.”