Police federation: We're not supporting any commissioner candidates (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Police federation: We're not supporting any commissioner candidates
11:00am Monday 22nd October 2012 in News
Police federation: We're not supporting any commissioner candidates
Dorset Police Federation has quashed rumours it has an allegiance with one of the candidates standing in next month’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections.
Chairman Clive Chamberlain has taken to the blog on the Federation’s website to remind people of the national and local stance on the elections.
Four candidates will go head-to head on Thursday November 15 to become Dorset’s first PCC and take over the current responsibilities of Dorset Police Authority. They are Conservative Nick King, Dorchester Mayor and Lib Dem representative Andy Canning, Labour candidate Rachel Rogers and independent candidate Martyn Underhill.
Mr Chamberlain said he decided to publically speak out after discovering rumours were circulating that the Dorset federation was financially supporting one of the candidates.
He wrote: “Neither the Police Federation of England and Wales, nor the Dorset Police Federation Joint Branch Board, supports or endorses any candidate standing for election as a PCC and we do not provide funding to any candidate.”
Speaking to the Echo this week, Mr Chamberlain added: “We don’t support any one of the candidates and certainly don’t financially support anyone. We are totally non-political as an organisation.
“It is down to individuals to decide whether they want to vote and who for.”
The job of the PCC will be to ensure the policing needs of their communities are met by holding the chief constable to account, setting and updating a police and crime plan, setting the force budget and precept and appointing and, where necessary, dismissing the chief constable.
Comments(25)
Square Old Codger
says...
1:06pm Mon 22 Oct 12
dirtyboy wrote:I entirely agree with you, who on earth wants the Police politicizing and the dead hands of a politician round the neck of the Police. The cost of standing ( around £50,000) is such that the candidates can only come from the main political parties ( or be rich!) any one with a good knowledge of how the Police really work and has worked within any branch of the Police is disbarred from standing. The scope for corruption is huge and for me it's just a job to keep failed pliticians in work. I wont be voting and I hope that the few who will be - think again.An utter waste of money , that would be better used keeping Police on the beat.Why weren't we asked if we wanted them - I assume that they believe they wouldn't like the answer!
Why is this being turned into a political affair. The candidates should not be from any political background if this is so its another complete waste of public funds with the general rate paying public being conned yet again
Square Old Codger
says...
1:06pm Mon 22 Oct 12
dirtyboy wrote:I entirely agree with you, who on earth wants the Police politicizing and the dead hands of a politician round the neck of the Police. The cost of standing ( around £50,000) is such that the candidates can only come from the main political parties ( or be rich!) any one with a good knowledge of how the Police really work and has worked within any branch of the Police is disbarred from standing. The scope for corruption is huge and for me it's just a job to keep failed pliticians in work. I wont be voting and I hope that the few who will be - think again.An utter waste of money , that would be better used keeping Police on the beat.Why weren't we asked if we wanted them - I assume that they believe they wouldn't like the answer!
Why is this being turned into a political affair. The candidates should not be from any political background if this is so its another complete waste of public funds with the general rate paying public being conned yet again
paul.p
says...
1:20pm Mon 22 Oct 12
muscliffman
says...
1:40pm Mon 22 Oct 12
But in any case I thought the Federation might be busy rearranging the Government, since useless Cameron's dithering over Mitchell handed them this agenda!
pete woodley
says...
1:42pm Mon 22 Oct 12
The Liberal
says...
2:50pm Mon 22 Oct 12
http://www.policeele
ctions.com/candidate
s/dorset/
The-Bleeding-Obvious
says...
3:27pm Mon 22 Oct 12
muscliffman
says...
3:48pm Mon 22 Oct 12
The-Bleeding-Obvious wrote:But they would only create another carriage full of seats somewhere else in the public-sector gravy train.
We should have an option on the ballot paper to vote not to have a police commissioner. In which case I suspect we would see a 100% turn out and a resounding 'we don't want one'!
The last thing we wanted here was politicians and ex-Police - so what did we get!
Square Old Codger
says...
4:41pm Mon 22 Oct 12
pete woodley wrote:I can only say that Radio Solent stated that no ex Police Officer, Railway Police, Dockyard Police etc were eligible to stand.
Square old codger,an ex policeman is standing, so your comments are not correct,re eligibility.
Square Old Codger
says...
4:58pm Mon 22 Oct 12
pete woodley wrote:Solent missed a vital word out "serving" police officers and a whole range of similar jobs are not eligible - retired ones are. MP's just resign and subject to the nature of their elecorate - are a shoe in. - better pay and expenses!
Square old codger,an ex policeman is standing, so your comments are not correct,re eligibility.
rayc
says...
4:59pm Mon 22 Oct 12
they have been convicted of an imprisonable offence
they are a serving; civil servant, judge, police officer, member of the regular armed forces, employee of a council within the force area, employee of a police related agency, employee of another government agency, politically restricted post-holder, member of police staff (including PCSOs) or member of a police authority
MEPs, MSPs, AMs and MPs will be able to stand as PCCs, but will need to stand down from their existing post before being able to accept the post of PCC"
It would appear then that ex Police Officers and staff may stand.
politicaltrainspotter
says...
5:44pm Mon 22 Oct 12
John T
says...
5:48pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Candidates are required to risk a deposit of £5000, compared to no deposit required for local election candidates and they will receive no Freepost delivery as all national election candidates are allowed.
Jimmy Savile could not have fixed it better than the CONservatives have for themselves.
Notice also that, for example, for the first time he has been Prime Minister, David Cameron, has today spoken out strongly about Law and Order, in comparison to his previous 'hug a hoodie' stance.
At least the local CONservative candidate NickKing does not need to corrupt his name on the ballot form. What you see is what you get!
pete woodley
says...
5:56pm Mon 22 Oct 12
EGHH
says...
6:12pm Mon 22 Oct 12
http://www.telegraph
.co.uk/news/politics
/9623068/The-secret-
US-lobbyists-behind-
Police-and-Crime-Com
missioner-election.h
tml
muscliffman
says...
6:59pm Mon 22 Oct 12
John T wrote:Thanks for the topic unrelated plug! I can see we have differing views on public-sector pensions, fair enough, but 'platinum plated' is your expression here, not one of mine.
Ex - police officers are allowed to stand but they will need the kind of platinum - plated pension that muscliffman seems to think that public servants get. Nevertheless, in Dorset, there is a former senior police officer, Martyn Underhill, who will be getting my vote.
Candidates are required to risk a deposit of £5000, compared to no deposit required for local election candidates and they will receive no Freepost delivery as all national election candidates are allowed.
Jimmy Savile could not have fixed it better than the CONservatives have for themselves.
Notice also that, for example, for the first time he has been Prime Minister, David Cameron, has today spoken out strongly about Law and Order, in comparison to his previous 'hug a hoodie' stance.
At least the local CONservative candidate NickKing does not need to corrupt his name on the ballot form. What you see is what you get!
In the private sector of course most of us have no pension to 'plate' with anything, although we still substantially help pay for the public-sector ones. How can that be reasonable to anyone John T?
However with 'soundbite Cameron' at least we do appear to be on more common ground!
freedom for pokesdown
says...
7:57pm Mon 22 Oct 12
If we need police commissioners then appoint the best man or woman for the job
pete woodley
says...
9:07pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Loamingloof
says...
10:43am Wed 24 Oct 12
.
Thank God we don't elect the police! But with massive cuts in funding we need a careful person to oversee the way the remaining money is used. Not a Tory who presumably backs the current nonsense at No 10, not a Liberal turncoat, nor someone like Martyn Underhill who claims he agrees with everyone especially Mrs/Ms/Miss Rogers because he lacks capacity for the thought required for the job.
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An independent mind, and the values we now miss in our public life are needed. I've voted Liberal, Green and Labour and almost Tory in 1974, also worked with Tory colleagues in local government, spent many happy hours with one or two. Rogers looks the best of this bunch all round.
pete woodley
says...
2:29pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Loamingloof
says...
5:26pm Wed 24 Oct 12
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I doubt a sympathetic ear is high on the list of requirements either. The PCC will not be on the phone listening to complaints as some Councillors are.
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This will be a big job, requiring a forceful person with tact and decisiveness as required. Labour got lucky.
pete woodley
says...
7:55pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Loamingloof
says...
8:42pm Wed 24 Oct 12
thetiger
says...
12:13pm Fri 26 Oct 12
dirtyboy says...
11:42am Mon 22 Oct 12