POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER DORSET – WELCOME TO THE POSTCODE LOTTERY
Yesterdays small story in my local paper didn’t tell a lot really Read Here
It just sounded like a candidate having a beef, fighting for copy space.
It actually hid the fact that across the UK, Police Authorities, Police Forces and PCC candidates are all at completely different stages of development. It really is a postcode lottery.
The Police Foundation and the Police Federation have done well to highlight this for us.
If you live in Sussex, the lines are already drawn. Candidates announced, websites on all sides launched, new website for the briefing of candidates etc Read More Here…
A similar picture exists in Avon and Somerset
If you live in Humberside, the candidates are already out campaigning Read more here…(Crime Panels (PCP’s) are still being drawn up. Police Authority Transition Groups still talk about how to prepare candidates for the election, completely missing the fact that most candidates are out there doing it already.
The scary thing is, that Police Authorities appear to be expecting a traditional campaign, a door knocking, campaign team approach, starting four weeks before November the 15th. In reality, with such huge areas to canvass, that approach will stumble. The PCC election will be held mainly online and has already started.
It’s also fascinating to look at “profile”. Forces such as Merseyside attract ex Government Ministers and council heavyweights, Chief Executives etc whilst smaller forces, like my area, attract retired policeman, soldiers and councillors.
So talking of my area, briefing papers apart, have they considered inviting candidates to Police Authority meetings? Sadly no. Have they considered asking what information we, as candidates, require? Sadly no. But I’ll keep trying, letter three now en route.
To summarise, a quick look across the postcodes, and you can see which areas, and individuals, have embraced this huge change to policing, and are preparing to meet it head on.
It’s also easy to see which areas are being dragged into the “PCC World” by their heels, kicking and screaming. The odd thing is, that the Police Authority staff of today, are the staff of the PCC and PCP tomorrow. It shouldn’t be this difficult?
