Election: Devon and Cornwall’s candidates for Police and Crime Commissioner

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections will take place on May 2 – with three candidates running for the role from Devon and Cornwall.

PCCs are tasked with ensuring that local policing in their area meets the needs of the community. There are 39 police areas in England and Wales with a PCC. Each area has one commissioner.

The next Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall will be: Alison Hernandez (Conservative and Unionist Party); Steve Lodge (Liberal Democrats); Daniel Steel (Labour and Co-operative Party).

We have contacted all candidates to find out more about them and why they are running for this position.

I live in Torquay, recently married an army corporal and have a 16 year old daughter. Born in Hele Village, Torquay, I was the first in the family to go to university, was a market trader as a teenager with my father in South Devon selling donuts, a victim of domestic violence and stalking whilst being elected as a Commissioner and don’ I don’t make promises I can’t keep.

I am an experienced leader in the South West and have developed this since my time in regional government. A long career in policing driving improvements in crime control, as a local and regional government official, management consultant in the UK, Singapore and Australia, elected councilor in Torquay and elected Police and Crime Commissioner for the past eight years.

I have developed and led nationally and regionally award-winning teams of volunteers and professionals. From a Britain in Bloom award for a volunteer park regeneration award to a recent Public Relations (CIPR) award from my office for increasing reports of drug dealing by communities.

I lead the South West team of Police and Crime Commissioners, where together they set up the Prisoners Building Homes Program (also award-winning). Here, 100 prisoners learn to create modular houses in a workshop. The first ones built using this workshop are in Cullompton for those on the housing list. This year, 82 will be built in the region.

I am someone who listens and understands the problem that needs to be solved.

Do you find it difficult to gain access to the police? I have reopened thirteen police station investigation stations, from Penzance to Ilfracombe, with five more to follow, including Liskeard and Exeter City Centre.

Worried about dangerous drivers where you live? I founded Vision Zero, which will enable an additional £5 million investment in road safety. From trying out new technology to stop people using their mobile phones while driving, to better supporting Community Speedwatch volunteers.

Worried about continued drug trafficking and anti-social drug abuse? I, along with the four other PCCs in the South West, prioritized and initiated Operation Scorpion. Catching cross-border drug dealers and those who exploit our children (County Lines). Four out of five forces in the SW (including Devon and Cornwall) are now in the top 4 for most drug disruptions in the country.

Are you tired of antisocial behavior? I have funded additional training for 500 police officers to understand all the tools and powers available to tackle ASB. I have established a victim support service and have worked nationally with all police and crime commissioners to raise the issue of ASB. I secured £1 million pounds for ASB hotspot policing in Devon and Cornwall this year. And my office will help fund street marshals for our downtowns.

Do you think the police are not taking rural crime seriously? I have been working across the South West to improve intelligence sharing between armed forces and together we are creating Operation Ragwort. This is intended to catch traveling criminals who steal property and livestock from farmers. A recent success saw criminals thieve near Tiverton and captured in Wiltshire. The criminals came from Kent!

I am a lifelong Liberal Democrat voter and have been an enterprising businessman, marketer and PR consultant for over thirty years. If elected, I would bring a background in innovation, finance and governance to the role of Commissioner to support the police in making our streets safer.

I started in finance and obtained a degree in accounting from the University of the West of England. I worked in accountancy for IBM and Marconi, but then retrained in newspaper journalism and held senior account roles in the advertising industry before starting my own business. I have worked with a wide range of businesses, charities and public sector organizations in Devon and Cornwall. Last year, my main company celebrated its 20th anniversary with 20 acts of kindness – from building free websites to buying 50 microwaves for a food bank.

I am also a non-executive director for an NHS contractor providing devices and I understand the power of good governance and accountability, working with the executive team to facilitate strategic decision-making. I have been a senior officer for the Federation of Small Businesses and have campaigned for SMEs in my region of Mid Devon and beyond.

On a more personal note, I live in the town of Tiverton. I am married and have three children, two dogs and three cats. Two of my children are homeschooled and have special needs, which presents a range of opportunities and challenges. Socializing is hard, and we’re looking at new ways to enrich and engage it, including trips to places as diverse as Stonehenge and Tokyo. My wife has been inspired to make sensory clothing for my daughter and is seeing if this will support other parents in a similar situation to us.

Outside of my family, I have been running a comedy club as a hobby for almost twenty years. I love sports and played squash in two national team finals representing my university. I played for squash teams in the Devon leagues before hanging up my racket and retiring to the golf course a few years ago, which is a rare, if not irritating, pleasure.

I’m a real music fan and had my own funk show on local radio for a few years. Broadcasting during the lockdown was a rewarding experience, keeping people in touch with the outside world.

I believe my experience and skills will provide the right mix of challenge and support to our local police and wider crime initiatives, and I have ideas to ensure both Devon and Cornwall are fairly represented. My promises are:

• Engage our senior officers and commit to bridging the gap between the police and the communities they protect.

• Support fair funding and smarter spending so that our police have the resources they need to effectively fight crime.

• Drive a return to good community policing, strengthening links with local communities to prevent crime and improve safety.

• Promote rehabilitation, reduce recidivism and secure a safer future for all residents.

If elected, I look forward to working with communities and police to make our streets the safest in the country.

I was born and raised in Plymouth. I am proud that I come from a service-oriented family. My father served in the Royal Navy for over twenty years. I was raised to believe that it was important to always ‘do your part’. It’s where my values ​​and passion for public service come from.

My own experience of being threatened with a knife has made me determined to make the communities of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly safer. I believe that no matter where we live, the one thing that connects us all is the need to feel safe.

Until earlier this month I worked at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. In order to stand for election, I had to resign.

My career in the public service has taken me to many difficult and dangerous places, such as Afghanistan, Egypt and Colombia, as well as to the United Nations, where I represented Britain with honesty, integrity and determination.

I was awarded the Civilian Service Medal (Afghanistan) for my posting in Kabul, where I worked in support of former Afghan translators and workers who had served alongside the HM Armed Forces.

My leadership skills and resilience have been forged risking life and limb to represent the United Kingdom and its interests. I am proud to have upheld and promoted British values ​​such as respect for the rule of law under the most challenging circumstances.

During my career I have worked on issues such as tackling violence against women and girls, modern slavery, human trafficking and counter-terrorism. This experience with some of the most serious issues facing police is invaluable.

As a diplomat, I have worked with people with views very different from my own. But I am a bridge builder. If elected, I will work in the same impartial and fair manner with everyone I need to help the people of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, regardless of who the people vote for.

Labor has a plan to take back our streets. We will halve serious violence and restore confidence in our police and criminal justice systems. To achieve this in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, I pledge the following:

1. Put the police back on the streets: More police officers and PCSOs on the streets to prevent crime, catch offenders and prevent anti-social behaviour.

2. Address the level of violence against women and girls: by creating new police specialists to support victims of violence and rape.

3. Prevent youth crime and recidivism: I will ensure that the police crack down on serious violence and knife crime and ensure that young people do not fall into crime.

4. Boost crime prevention and victim support: To make this more local, and better targeted to the challenges facing our rural areas, towns and cities.

5. Crackdown on illegal sewage dumping: I support Labour’s tough plans to ensure that water bosses who oversee repeated illegal sewage dumping are prosecuted.

It will come as no surprise: one of my favorite hobbies is traveling. I have been fortunate to visit more than 40 countries. I speak Spanish and some broken Arabic since my post in Cairo.

Voters in England now need to show photo ID to vote at polling stations in some elections.

The deadline to apply for a free voter card for the elections on Thursday, May 2 is Wednesday, April 24, 5:00 PM.

Find out more about accepted forms of photo ID, how to apply for a free Electoral Authority certificate and what to expect on election day on the Electoral Commission website: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter -id