Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner election - the five candidates

There are five candidates with Conservative representative Rupert Matthews hoping to be re-elected for a second term of office.

His competitors are Rory Palmer (Labour and Co-operative Party), Aasiya Bora (Green Party), Ian Robert Sharpe (Liberal Democrats) and Fizza Askari (One Leicester).

IAN SHARPE (Liberal Democrats):

The Conservatives have long talked tough on crime, but failed to even get the basics right. Their unnecessary cuts have left our police forces overstretched, under-resourced, and unable to focus on the crimes that affect our communities the most.

Instead of more empty promises, I will commit to what actually works to stop crime - proper community policing, where officers are visible and trusted, with the time and resources to focus on neighbourhood crime.

I believe that the current PCC is wasting money. The office costs and spin machine costs £5million a year. Yet he has set a budget for the Police which requires them to make £5million in cost savings, cutting vital support staff jobs and even threatening the number of Police officers.

I would put more money into front-line policing and crime prevention measures. Targeting domestic violence and sexual assault, rural Crime, anti-social behaviour, City centre street crime and on-line Fraud.

I call for a return to proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and able to focus on preventing and solving crime.

AASIYA BORA (Green Party):

Public Services in the United Kingdom are under-funded and suffering.

The ‘Big Two’ parties have run out of energy and ideas on policing and protecting people’s security, failing to offer any different solutions.

They have abandoned local communities and are only interested with what happens in Westminster. That is why I am putting myself forward as the Green Party candidate for PCC.

If elected I will provide resources to keep everyone safe from harm — supporting the people who deal with crime on a daily basis.

I will invest in services for victims of crime, particularly support for those suffering domestic abuse.

And I will help to build strong communities by providing young people with the services to achieve their full potential and protect them from crime.

When elected at a local, regional or national level, Greens have a track record of working hard for their communities and standing up for the most vulnerable. I look forward to continuing this tradition if elected at May’s Police Commissioner election.

RUPERT MATTHEWS (Conservative Party):

Mr Matthews has pledged to boost neighbourhood policing with greater police visibility, more police stations and a clear focus on the crimes that matter most to local people.

At a launch of his campaign to be re-elected as PCC he highlighted his drive to tackle rural crime in his first term of office. It saw crime rates plummet as a new dedicated Rural Crime Team was introduced.

Mr Matthews flagged up his new manifesto for policing Leicestershire, which includes tackling key issues such as knife crime, speeding and dangerous driving and retail crime.

He says he will maintain his commitment to crime prevention and making the night-time economy safer.

Mr Matthews said: “I’m very proud of what has been achieved to date. Crime is down in key areas. My focus on tackling anti-social behaviour has really paid off, as has the introduction of the rural crime team, which in January was showing around a 10 per cent drop in rural crime.”

He added: “There is now a proper Neighbourhood Policing Strategy in place. Officers are doing their job, efficiently and effectively.”

RORY PALMER (Labour):

Every day we see crime and anti-social behaviour damaging our communities.

People in Melton and the surrounding villages tell me they feel worried and less safe.

Our police officers work tirelessly and bravely, but there’s not enough of them.

Don’t believe Conservative spin about ‘record police numbers’. That is not the case in Leicestershire and Rutland. The Conservatives are not funding our police properly, most other areas get a better funding deal.

I know people in and around Melton are worried about anti-social behaviour, shoplifting, vehicle crime, speeding and crimes targeting farms and rural areas.

Labour will deliver more frontline police with strengthened neighbourhood policing tackling local crime like burglary, vehicle crime, shoplifting, anti-social behaviour.

Rural policing will be strengthened, protecting farming and countryside communities.

Safer roads will be a priority, with action on speeding, and new long-term plans combatting violent crime, knife crime, drugs and county lines, and action to end violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and hate crime.

I will reduce the costs of the Police Commissioner role to invest in the frontline.

FIZZA ASKARI (One Leicester):

Ms Askari is a former Labour member who defected to One Leicester.

She says her candidacy in the upcoming PCC elections is the start of a new wave of local people representing local communities without the obligation to keep national party bosses happy.

One of her focuses is ‘repairing the contract between our communities and the police’.

Her campaign focuses on five key pledges - more police officers on the beat; a better contract between the community and police based on mutual respect; more resources for crime prevention; better representation within the police force; and fighting for an end to the war in Gaza and bringing those responsible to justice

Ms Askari said “Policing in our county needs a rethink.

“We have incredibly dedicated police officers in the constabulary but there’s a clear disconnect between them and the people they serve and protect.”

Since its inception, she says, One Leicester has brought together all those who believe in the importance of a community that is based on uniting people from different backgrounds and faiths.