THE time has come again for us to vote for a new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) – or not.
The 2012 election cost £75 million with the lowest peacetime turnout ever at an average of 15 per cent.
A significant number who didn’t vote said they “don’t agree with electing police officials this way.”
This information was gleaned from the Electoral Reform Society’s report.
In addition the role of the PCC is a salaried post.
Last time I spoiled my ballot paper by stating that “This is a criminal waste of money.”
Another area of concern is that the role of the PCC has been politicised.
Within months of the election, all four new commissioners in our region had “sacked” their chief constables and inserted their own choices.
The new system ensures that the opinion of a single commissioner, often with a party-political slant, controls the county police force.
This is why I’m intending to spoil my ballot paper again, this time with “Policing is not a party political matter.”
MIKE LANGTREE
Malmesbury
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