Police & Crime Commissioners (PCCs) across the country have shown that they have an important role to play in the fight against crime. Since the role was created in 2012, PCCs have helped set clear priorities for policing and held local constabularies to account in carrying out their vital work.
This is has clearly been the case locally, with Cheshire’s PCC, John Dwyer, playing a leading role in making our communities safer places to live and work in. With the upcoming PCC elections on 5th May, he and the three other PCC candidates are now actively seeking a mandate from us, the electorate, to take that work forward.
Positive progress has been made across Cheshire in recent years. Overall crime is down to its lowest level since the early 1990s, with domestic burglaries down by almost 20%. In my work with police in Macclesfield, it’s clear that they are also taking strong action to tackle drug related crime.
Average response times to incidents have fallen by almost 8%, to under ten minutes. Furthermore, 53 frontline officers were recruited over the last financial year, and 70 more are being recruited this year. The Cheshire Constabulary was also assessed as “outstanding” by independent inspectors in 2015.
The successful PCC candidate will need to build on that record and, like many local residents, I believe, should continue to make neighbourhood policing a clear priority. They should make a clear pledge going forward to maintain the commitment to PCSOs, who provide a valued, visible police presence in our communities. It will also be vital to keep a strong focus on tackling rural crime and engaging with rural communities.
With so many key issues at stake, don’t miss your chance to have your say again on policing and tackling crime in Cheshire on 5th May.