FORMER police detective Mike Rees will stand again as an independent in the second Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner election.
The new ballot will be held later this summer, on August 19, and comes after Tory winner Jonathon Seed was disqualified over a 30-year-old drink driving conviction.
Mike said: “After much deliberation with my family and due to the 1000s of people who voted for me, I’ve made the decision following the fiasco of the first election back in May.
“That process was an eye opener to say the least and I still think it's an appalling waste of public money that it has to be run again - something which could and should have been avoided.
“However, I’m so appreciative and humbled by the support I received, and it is this which has motivated me to stand again.”
Central to his decision was the support of his former colleague Steve Fulcher, who left Wiltshire Police in 2014 after becoming subject to an investigation over decisions he made when questioning killer Halliwell, over the abduction and murder of Sian O’Callaghan.
Halliwell admitted killing another woman, Becky Godden Edwards, and offered to show Steve where he’d buried her body. Steve’s story was told last year in an ITV series A Confession where he was played by actor Martin Freeman and Steve has also written a book telling his side of the story.
Halliwell is currently serving a full life sentence for the murder of these two women. Steve has always stood by the decisions he made in the fast-moving situation of a high-pressure murder case. Mike has always supported Steve around making a moral choice in an extraordinary situation.
Steve said: “I’m so pleased to support Mike again in this second campaign. Mike was an officer of real passion, dedication and integrity – and he’s now a businessman with the same ethics.
“Fulfilling the office of PCC is a significant commitment and there are considerable challenges for policing. I believe Mike is the man to face these challenges head on. He has spent his career serving the people of Wiltshire and is determined to ensure the police service is one in which he and the community, can take pride.”
Mike has set out his four main priorities if he is elected as the new PPC:
- Stronger presence.
- Wise and responsible spending.
- Supporting communities.
- Safer streets.
Mike said: “I have my views around the existence of the PCC role, but firmly believe that if there is to be one, it should not be filled by a politician with allegiance to a political party. I’m under no illusion about the task before me having gone through this process already.
“I’m really pleased and grateful to have Steve’s support again. He genuinely cares about people, whether they be staff, members of the public or victims. I know like me, he’s passionate about delivering a quality service to the public.”
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