Police Commissioner Voting

[AB Editor]

 

This poll is closed.

Do you feel informed enough to vote for police commissioner?

• No - 333 votes
• 87%
• Yes - 48 votes
• 13%

See final stats

Stats until: 00:53 Sat 21st Dec 2024 (Refreshed every 5 minutes)

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[vivandorron]

I agree with what O_G has said. Viv and I have had polling cards, but not a word further through our letterbox. If we didn't have a Computer, it is unlikely that we would have heard the name of any candidate; and what a poor lot they appear to be. Our vote in AB's Poll has therefore been NO.

Ron.

[Baldric]

You can have this one ron, we don't want her!

http://www.theanswerb.../Question1188300.html

[Coldicote]

With the process of joining the police, the probation period, supervision, training, exams and promotions, it's an absolute nonsense that one individual with no police experience should be empowered to dismiss a Chief Constanle.

[bazwillrun]

So instead of getting those already in charge of old bill to do the job properly we are going to introuduce another load of civil service managers pay them a load of money to spout the usual political guff and then they can retire on a nice earner, sorry meant pension.

absolute waste of money, but then we are pretty good at wasting money on middle management in this country

[anotheoldgit]

Will be interesting to see how many bothered to turn out and vote.

Judging by the response on here , not many I suspect.

[jobjockey]

First time I have not voted in any kind of election(age 78),complete waste of money, more bureaurocracy, and the final decider is seeing Prescott is standing as a candidate

[Jes116]

As a recently retired officer i am able to voice my thoughts, which all serving officers are not. I am wholly against the politicisation of the police, which this effectively does. I will be voting for an independent candidate in my area. I believe that this is an ill thought through process which stems from a will within the Conservatives to have greater control over the police and attempt to mirror an american model which could be argued to be ineffective.

[grumpysod]

No. When I got the printed stuff, I was urged to vote for the Labour Candidate. However, they forgot to tell me his name.

[douglas9401]

So 1000+ redundancies to come over the next few years in the education department but law and order needs another (very expensive) layer of management.
There's an agenda here among the smoke and mirrors.

[AB Editor]

My thoughts on the matter are summed up by Mr. Wilde, as usual:

"Bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy"

I've been reading my local options - some woefully unprepared, some seemingly with a merely single trotter in the troff already and one who has apparently granted himself some powers which will not be recognized by the government (or the police for the matter!)....

I was ill informed before and now that I am informed I will suggest it's a complete farce.

[Baldric]

My OH has just decided she will not be voting either due to a lack of information.

[BazzaS]

The turnout will be miserably low. Many people who normally vote are staying away because they do not know who the candidates are or what they stand for. I have encouraged those I know to enter a protest vote, i.e. 'None of these'. A sizeable number of doing so would show how undemocratic this election is.
Also, I though we had rejected AV in a referendum but it is being imposed in the election. ‘They’ just don’t get it, do they?

[Graham-W]

I've just been to vote in the Police Commissioner election.
The voting population of the two villages using my polling station is ~3,500 according to the 2001 census. I asked at the polling station if they had been busy and was told I was number 45.
So far ( at 16.00) turnout has been <1.3%.
If the turnout triples before 22.00 turnout will be <5%.
Do you think the government will take heed of the low turnout and change their minds about Police Commissioners?

[Voulez-vous]

Got my card......will not vote, as I didn't have a shred of information on any candidate.
Hate the idea that a Police job is voted for, far too American for my liking.
As others have said, seems like a total waste of money, when this country needs every penny it can get.

[askyourgran]

Do you think the Government will take heed of the low turnout and change their minds about Police Commissioners I hope so Graham W, there seems to be no other way to show a protest against this complete waste of money. I'm very much against this.

[yogi-bear]

If the candidates, or councils cant be bothered to spend time canvassing and explaining who they are and what they'll do if elected, why should we devote 30 mins of our time, at least, to go and vote for some twonk.

I'm just in from a pretty good day at my radio show and now gonna relax instead.....you know it has to be done, eh? :0)

P.S Now, If Prime Suspect actress, Helen Mirren was there at the polling station, I may have strolled along and given her a contribution :0)

[samrolfe]

I have voted and although the commissioner may have political leanings or an agenda, any coercion put on a chief constable or senior officers to facilitate these will be fundamentally wrong. To my mind a police commissioner is the oversight and administrator to ensure the efficient running of the service he is commissioned to manage not to police. Any policies introduced by him concerning police operation must be just that, police policies. Any attempt to further political agenda or vary from established law, must be declared illegal and rationale for removal from the post.

[MASS1961]

Does there have to be a minimum turnout of say 10% before it can be called a valid election?

I am one of the 90%+

These people are going to be on £100,000 pa if elected!

[woofgang]

I went and voted. I did my research and found we had an independent candidate who had experience in managing police and felt strongly that party politics should be kept out of the role.

[askyourgran]

So these 41 Commissioner posts were created so that the Police service is in the thrall of MP's who have made no mystery about their political leanings. They are the ones who can dictate to the Police where they are to attend, they can sack a Chief Constable, and set the budgets for their area. I am not convinced that they are needed. Mp's calling the tune does not ring true. The expense of this whole farce is enormous. Jobs for the Old boys.