Police and Crime Commissioner candidates – who are they and why should you vote for them

Five candidates are vying to be elected to the role which has become increasingly important in deciding how a region's police force operates – and is managed.

The candidates on this year's ballot papers include Conservative John Campion, who has held the role since 2016, Henry Curteis – who is standing for the English Democrats under the banner "More Police – catching criminals!", Julian Dean for the Green Party, Sarah Murray for the Liberal Democrats, and Richard Overton for the Labour party.

The role of the police and crime commissioner was introduced back in 2012 and has been intended as a voice of the people to hold the police to account.

The commissioners are responsible for the totality of policing – and levy part of a council tax bill to pay for policing.

Police and Crime Commissioners aim to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service within their police force area.

They are elected to hold Chief Constables and the force to account, making the police answerable to the communities they serve.

John Campion – Conservative

I have overseen a fall in crime in West Mercia and the recruitment of 500 additional Police Officers, taking the force to record numbers.

I am determined that communities must now feel the full benefit; where crime falls further, victims are better supported and people feel safer.

I will focus on cutting crime by:

* Safer Town Centres – Expanding Town Centre Policing Teams.

* Safer Homes – Targeting offenders of domestic abuse, sexual violence and exploitation.

* Safer Businesses – Preventing crime and ensuring a robust response when it does happen.

* Safer Countryside – Enhancing rural crime fighting teams.

* Tackling Drugs – Pursuing drug dealers and the harm they cause in our society.

* Prompt Investigations – Ensuring West Mercia Police respond promptly to reports of crime and conduct thorough investigations.

I will support victims and survivors through:

* Advocacy – Putting the voice of victims at the heart of policing in West Mercia.

* Creating a Victims Hub – Ensuring victims get the support they need by specialist training for officers delivering regular and meaningful updates.

I will put policing back into the heart of the community:

* Visible Policing – Redirecting funding for 100 more police officers to Safer Neighbourhood teams – more visible in communities fighting crime.

* Responsive Policing – Ensuring the police respond quickly to the public and keep them informed about crime in their area and what action is being taken.

* Accessible Policing – Improving the responsiveness of both 101 service and online crime reporting.

* Safer Roads – More specialist roads policing teams.

West Mercia Police is made up of hard-working officers and staff; I am resolute in the belief that they and the communities of West Mercia deserve a hard-working Commissioner who is focused on fighting crime, supporting victims and putting policing back at the heart of the community.

Henry Curteis – English Democrats – "More Police – catching criminals!"

West Mercia has the lowest morale of any Police Force in the country outside the Met at 95 per cent reporting low morale. 82 per cent advise others not to join. The incumbent claims crime is down by 15 per cent. Yet the British Retail Consortium says shoplifting has doubled in one year nationally along with staff assault. Anecdotal evidence suggests West Mercia follows this trend. Vehicle theft is up by 25 per cent in one year. We are facing a Policing and Crime catastrophe and no one is doing anything much to stop it.

The incumbent denies that he is funding Gay Pride/Police 'We Stand Together' campaigns and is rolling them out across West Mercia. He is keen to prioritise Hate Crime and suppress vigilantism.

If elected I will do the opposite, defund political ventures, stop Police focus on thought crime, and get on with fighting traditional crime, and catching criminals, increase visibility, and tolerate people defending themselves and their property.

In town centres the same few people are shoplifting week after week, yet they are not removed. I will encourage private security guards to apply to become Special Constables with power of arrest. And demand frequent offenders are charged, with no too low value of goods stolen limit set.

Satellite police stations can visit rural areas on a weekly basis at advertised times, with dedicated officer fulltime responsible for each area. Bad apples in the force must be removed. Two tier policing must be stopped. Officers must be trained in finger print lifting and attend burglaries, domestic and commercial. Police usually know who the criminals are – a small per cent of the population. We must track them and trace them. And work to increase the rate of successful prosecutions. Elect me and I will fight to reverse the current trend.

Julian Dean – Green Party

Our police are really feeling the pressure. Government cuts have made it harder for them to tackle crime and team up with communities and businesses to keep crime levels down.

West Mercia Police covers a huge rural area. We're seeing organised crime targeting farms and our town centres are struggling too, especially with people facing difficulties due to cuts in services like mental health and drug support.

These problems need different fixes. To help our smaller communities, I'll team up with all emergency services to pay for 'Tri-Service Safety Officers', like they have in Cornwall. They'll keep an eye out in places that are hard to reach otherwise. For town centres, I'll push against cuts to CCTV and make sure it's looked after well. Plus, I'll improve teamwork with health services, councils, and businesses.

We also need to build trust in the police and boost morale among officers. Better connections with all our communities are vital, but right now, it's just not good enough. I'll aim to create a new deal between communities and the police, with more local input. That way, we can improve communication and trust.

Abuse and violence against women and girls, and against minority communities, need a much better response from the police, but councils and communities need to step up too if we are to stop offenders. I will work to help us all do our bit.

Sarah Murray – Liberal Democrat

Having worked extensively in law, education and mental health, I am acutely aware of the impact of declining services on those who struggle with education l, and how it can result in criminality, and how vulnerability can lead to young people being targeted by County Lines gangs.

My life’s work, criminal law and education, have led me to take an active interest in this role.

I would like to see:

* A return to community policing

* Proactive intervention in the root causes of crime

* A burglary response guarantee;

* Greater diversity and inclusivity in the PCC and deputy roles

A passionate advocate for ending violence against women and girls, I want to see more done to support victims of male violence – including timely prosecutions. I am also aware of male victims of domestic abuse and will work to reduce the stigma surrounding this. No victim should feel unheard, even if they wish to remain unseen.

The Police and Crime Commissioner role encompasses all my interests and passions: criminal justice, social accountability and being an active community role model who listens to the needs of the community and works to improve the area.

As we saw in North Shropshire, many Conservative voters are switching to the Liberal Democrats as a sensible alternative that won't squander public money and will offer fair solutions that meet the growing needs of communities, both rural and urban.

I hope you will put your trust in me on May 2. I will work to serve you and bring Liberal values to West Mercia Police Force, and ensure your police are given the time and resources to make you feel safe.

Richard Overton – Labour

Telford born, raised, and educated, Richard manages a community hub for a small charity in Telford and volunteers as a UEFA C Football coach.

As Deputy Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, Richard has a record of action for supporting residents: tackling rogue landlords, reducing anti-social behaviour, and taking on the fly tippers.

Richard will be a highly visible PCC working with communities on local policing and crime plans to focus police effort on residents’ issues.

Richard wants to put the prevention of crime, the punishing of offenders and the protecting of victims at the forefront of his pledges to be the next Police and Crime Commissioner.

Richard’s key priorities are:

* Focusing on the prevention and detection of crime and support for victims – For too long victims feel let down and sometimes they do not receive a visit after having been a victim of crime.

* A complete review across the force area to put ‘more bobbies on the beat’ – Review the spending priorities in the budgets, to put more Police Officers on our streets

* Determined action to prevent and prosecute violence against women and girls – We need to make sure our streets feel safer for all, with more focus given to Domestic Abuse victims, investment in CCTV and a community led action plan to make women and girls feel safer and protected.

* A community lead action plan for each neighbourhood to tackle drugs, speeding, shoplifting and rural crime – A key laser focus on dealing with these crimes, which can give a negative impact on our communities and in some cases be behind OCG. (Put this in full, not everyone knows what OCG means)

* New rapid response teams to fight anti-social behaviour and crime hotspots – To have rapid response teams in partnership with local authorities to deal with Anti-Social Behaviour and work to reduce crime in hotspot areas.

Only Labour has a plan to take back our streets.