The Labour candidate, Clive Grunshaw, won the Police Commissioners £85,000 a year role in Lancashire on a 15% turn out and winning 39% of the first votes. This gives him about 6% support overall, and a lot of indifference.
Not a job most would look forward to, so we wish him well. To interject into the system will take some teeth, although the powers given to the commissioner give him some bite and a person of substance will make themselves felt. The local BBC news gave the Merseyside commissioner the most publicity and she didn’t give the impression she’d take any prisoners if she was crossed.
We should give this a go and see how it works. There is a feeling that the police should be seen more everywhere, whether that can be achieved without more police and by cutting paperwork, like the government wants, is to be seen.
Politicising the police is a worry and we’ve already seen the new commissioner making statements that could be said to be critical of the government. We’ve also seen this week, in Rotherham, that certain political views can be read as unacceptable so there could be a fear related to this.
Overall we’ll hope the new system works for everyone and that it will get more support and interest as it goes on. Although it is quite possible that continued dis-interest is more likely.