Countdown to Police and Crime Commissioner vote (From This is The West Country)

Countdown to Police and Crime Commissioner vote

2:00pm Tuesday 30th October 2012 in News

ELECTIONS for the first Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset take place in just over two weeks.

The candidates in the election are Sue Mountstevens (Independent); Dr John Savage (Labour); Ken Maddock (Conservative); and Pete Levy (LibDem).

The winning candidate will oversee the police on behalf of people living in the area, holding the constabulary and the Chief Constable to account.

They will replace the existing Avon and Somerset Police Authority of 17 councillors and independent members of the public, and will set policing priorities and decide how your council tax is spent on crime and policing issues.

They will be elected for four years, and be expected to publish a police and crime plan setting out objectives for Avon and Somerset.

There are fears that the election could have the lowest turnout ever for a poll in this country.

Taunton Deane MP Jeremy Browne: “I want to see a concentration on tackling neighbourhood-level crime and anti-social behaviour, and hope people will find out more about the elections and cast their vote on November 15.”