VOTE Joy Allen on Thursday 2 May
Your postal ballot will be dropping through your letterbox in the next couple of days and with it your chance to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner.
The Conservative government’s record on crime and justice is abysmal. Crime destroys lives and so does the fear of crime. This has an impact on working people, communities, businesses and the local economy.
Despite the Conservatives promising more police and safer streets, their austerity cuts have reduced Durham’s Police budget by £38 million in real terms, resulting in a massive 27% cut in police officer numbers (408 officers) between 2010 and 2020. In addition, capital funding for estates, fleet and IT has been cut from £1M to £0.
However, despite these financial challenges, under my leadership, as your Police and Crime Commissioner, anti-social behaviour has reduced by 26% and Durham has the highest number of officers they have had in a decade, but we still have 139 officers less than we did in 2010. This is because of an outdated and unfair funding formula that makes the rich forces richer and the poorer forces poorer.
Being tough on crime and the causes of crime has always been central to Labour’s approach to tackling crime. Communities should be able to live free from fear and insecurity and people should feel safe whether it is around the local high street, walking home at night, using the internet or even at home.
As you will see below, since my election in 2021 I have put the public’s priorities front and centre of every decision I have made. I have a clear plan to deliver safer and stronger communities and protect victims of crime and anti-social behaviour.
- ASB (anti-social behaviour) is down 26%
- Achieved target of recruiting 242 Police Officers
- Reduced drug-related ASB by 42%
- Secured £240k to tackle rural crime
- Reduced average call handling times from 2min 28sec to 51sec
- Secured £4M to tackle ASB and low-level crime
If you re-elect me on Thursday 2nd May as your Police and Crime Commissioner, I will prioritise:
- Neighbourhood Policing
- Anti-Social Behaviour
- Tackling Drug Use/Drug Dealing
- Speeding Vehicles
- Off Road Bikes
- Improving 101/999 call handling
A vote for Labour is a vote to prevent crime, protect victims and communities, deter offending and reoffending and my commitment to relentlessly pursue offenders.