The race for Kent Police and Crime Commissioner is an
election that for months now has been hotly contested but of late, after
attending two recent hustings, it seems
that the people of Kent, contrary to what the media says is general apathy nationwide, are also very much engaged with
the process.
People in their vast numbers have attended these two debates
on the University of Kent, Canterbury campus and at Midkent College, Gillingham, in which all six candidates took part This in part I think is a credit to the
candidates, who of varying success have campaigned all around the cities and
towns of Kent, but this is also because the people of Kent are aware that
whoever wins this election has a huge task on their hands in order to
coordinate the protection and prevention of crime in Kent which has disrupted
far too many people.
Whoever wins this will have control over a £225 million
budget and where this is spent, or not spent will have a direct impact over the
safety of all in Kent. There shall be no time for bedding-in period for whoever
wins on the 15th November. Whilst the role is new, the job of Police
and Crime Commissioner is not one for a novice.
In Kent, under the traditional responsibility of unelected,
target-obsessed and detached bureaucrats in the Kent Police Authority (KPA)
over 70% of crime in Kent went unresolved. 84% of burglaries and 82% of car
crimes have gone ‘undetected’, drug problems and the general influence of the
Black Market over the lives of Kent residents are rife. This is before the impact
of a 20% reduction of the police budget is felt. The move towards a more
accountable police service, with a democratically elected Commissioner cannot
be more timely and welcome.
Candidates Ann Barnes (Independent), Dai Liyanage (Independent),
Craig Mackinlay (Conservative), Steve Uncles (English Democrats) , Piers
Wauchope (UKIP) and Harriet Yeo (Labour) all attended the two recent hustings
in which all put forward their own cases for becoming the first PCC of Kent. I
was struck by the range of candidates on offer in Kent. Far from a bunch of
career politicians, we have Harriet Yeo, a proud trade unionist, Craig
Mackinlay, a local Magistrate and accountant and current Councillor, Dai
Liyange, a former Liberal Democrat member and Mayor of Medway, Piers Wauchope,
another Councillor, Steve Uncles, an activist within the English Democrats, and
lastly Ann Barnes, formerly of the KPA. This variety is refreshing and shall
only improve general attitudes to the newly formed PCC role at a time when
public faith in traditional politicans in Westminster is at an all-time low.
The big issues which came up in both hustings were firstly
drugs. All candidates conveyed their hard-line approach to drugs in Kent. All
were in agreement that illegal drugs have no place in civilised society.
Mackinlay and Yeo in particular, spoke candidly on the issue. Mackinlay, as a
Magistrate in one of the most challenging wards in the whole country,
reiterated that the overwhelming majority of crimes have a drug element to
them, in which most of these criminals have a drug habit. Harriet Yeo
challenged the notion that drugs are of no harm to society when she talked of
how a helpless parent, which she met whilst on the campaign trail, could do
little to prevent the damage of the fumes, spread from a neighbour from
reaching her 3 year old child. A reminder that it is those around the drug user
that suffers at the hands of illegal drugs. Mackinlay also supports drug rehabilitation programs as the way forward to help hooked users off the habit.
Another issue that was prevalent was fears of privatisation.
Again all candidates appeared to agree that privatisation of the front line is
not on the agenda. Harriet Yeo attacked Ann Barnes for her record on
privatisation on the KPA. Yeo called for Mrs Barnes to be upfront about the
private companies she oversees to carry out Kent Police roles.
Craig Mackinlay however was more realistic on the issue.
Mackinlay reiterated that ‘capital P’ privatisation is something he will never
bring onto the front line provision of the police, however he explained that
for back-office functions, private companies can carry out functions at a cheaper cost to taxpayers whilst providing more effective service.
Another issue was an apparent dissatisfaction with the lack of police presence on the streets of Kent, meaning that police officers become detached from the public, who lack community ties with their local officers. Craig Mackinlay offered hope to Kent's rural communities, who many claim to have not seen a police officer 'in years'. Mackinlay's promoted his rural manifesto's six-point rural crime policy, emphasizing the need for increased police interaction with rural communities, the need for more Special Constables and better use of intelligence to combat crime in rural Kent.
However all candidates defended the closure of police stations in Kent. Ann Barnes acknowledged that they were too expensive to maintain. Mrs Barnes said that her policy would be to provide 'mini mobile police stations' to combat the 'emotive element' of station closures. Mackinlay said that the rise of technology and its widening distribution and usage meant that Police can be more responsive now, through the use of technology, meaning that the police stations purpose and effectiveness was diminishing.
Another issue in the forum was over the salary for the role.
On a show of hands at Midkent College, very few believed that the position
justified the £85000 annual salary. Dai Liyanage claimed he would only accept a
salary of £40,000, whilst committing the rest of the allocated amount to police
technology research.
Interestingly though, Mrs Barnes, Chair of the Kent Police
Authority, whilst in her six year tenure oversaw
a rise by 45% to her six-figure salary, this for her work in unelected position. This authority
shall, come November 16th be abolished and replaced by the elected PCC
. The salary for the role shall be significantly less than what Mrs Barnes paid
herself whilst Chair of the KPA with taxpayers money in these roles. This salary for a new,
elected and democratically accountable person seems far fairer than the
previous regime and whilst at the same time as reducing salary cost, shall also
increase democratic mandate and representation in our police force.
Craig Mackinlay in Canterbury led the concern at rising bureaucracy
costs under the previous KPA, at a time when the police budget is being cut by
central government. Candidates Yeo, Mackinlay, Liyanage, Wanchope and Uncles
all expressed concern of this trend. Mackinlay said that these ever-increasing costs were unnecessary and , if elected he would ensure that the money allocated to admin would be spent on protecting the front line. Dai Liyange agreed that these costs will have
to be brought back down under control.
Consensus on the issue however did not quite form around the
podium. Ann Barnes, believed to be a front-runner for the job, defended the
tripling of back office and admin costs spent by the KPA in the space of only
six years, this whilst front line officers have been made redundant in Kent,
conceded that she could not promise that these costs won’t continue to increase
from the £1.5 million she already administers.
So as the event drew to a close in Gillingham, attendees at
the forums will have much to ponder when it comes to their crucial choice in 22
days time. Each candidates respected campaigns shall no doubt step up in
intensity as election day on the 15th November approaches. How the
new Police and Crime Commissioners will impact crime and the police agenda is
something that will be of much interest in the coming months and years. But for
now, the elected Commissioner is here to say and it is essential that Kent
selects the right one.
Ann Barnes's salary was £29,000 in her last year as Chair of the KPA …. Not 6 figures unless you include the comma. Where did you get your information which is clearly factually wrong and seems to be a Conservative Ploy to discredit her. Please retract this information immediately. Thank You. Howard Cox
ReplyDeleteHer salary pro-rata was nearly £75,000. Remember she was only a two day per week Chair of the Authority, not full-time for £29k. Take a look at their website.
ReplyDeleteYou cite transparency Howard, but why haven't you mentioned the £15,000 she was also quietly trousering for doing work for the APA, a payment and opportunity she only got through her Chair's job. You didn't know? Didn't she declare that to you? What sort of paid spokesman are you?
Add to that the generous expenses claimed - how many ordinary people have the luxury of receiving mileage payments for just driving to work in the first place? - and you are over six figures per year.
I'm not a Tory, I will be voting for a true Independent, but the half-truths, evasions, and mock piety of Ann Barnes' paid lobbyists - so beautifully personified by you Howard - is nauseating. Stop lying to the people of Kent and saying any legitimate criticism of Ann Barnes is 'political'.
Maybe Howard Cox could better spend his time explaining to us why Ann Barnes took a 45% pay rise as KPA Chair in December 2008 whilst the country was in a financial crisis?