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Green Party Police and Crime Commissioner candidate, Martin Schmierer, says that if elected on May 5th, he will do whatever he can to help rough sleepers, at a time when several councils have investigated plans to fine them for “antisocial activity”.

Across Norfolk the number of homeless has increased drastically over the last couple of years, with the number in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk almost doubling in 2015. [1] This followed a similar rise in Norwich. [2] Continue reading “Let’s help rough sleepers, not fine them,” says Green Party PCC candidate for Norfolk

Green Party PCC candidate, Martin Schmierer, has warned that the forthcoming local elections could be marred with problems, with two different voting systems being used and added EU referendum election ballots being potentially included.

On May 5th voters will go to the polls across Norfolk to elect their next Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

There are also simultaneous local council elections going on in Norwich and Great Yarmouth, while the PCC elections use a form of supplementary voting system. Continue reading “This election could descend into a farce” warns Green Party PCC candidate for Norfolk.

I am very concerned that turnout will not be much higher than last time and I think much of the blame for this must go to the government who introduced this extra layer of bureaucracy. In my experience on the doorstep, There is simply no public appetite for making policing party-political in this way. Residents want the police force to be accountable, not partisan.

After speaking with many residents about this, most people do not know what this role entails. Even though the Electoral Commission, in its report on the elections, stated that the low turnout was “a concern for anyone who cares about democracy“, the lessons do not seem to have been learnt. Continue reading No public appetite for making policing partisan

Earlier this week I was at the manifesto launch of the Green Party. I was proud to be able to contribute to the drafting of this document.

Helping small businesses and tackling rogue landlords were two of the pledges made by the Green Party in Norwich in its manifesto for this year’s local elections. By offering the use of shops and office space at a greatly subsidised rate, the Greens want to encourage new businesses to start up in the city. Continue reading Tackling flytipping in Norwich

As a local councillor in Norwich and the deputy leader of the largest group of Green councillors in the UK, I constantly engage with residents and understand what it means to be accountable to the public. As Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk, I would act as an efficient conduit between local residents and the constabulary, and would seek to involve communities more in decision-making.

I have lived in Norfolk since 1994 and have a good understanding of the issues facing the county. I oppose government austerity and cuts to police services; however, I would work hard within existing budget constraints to protect the services that most directly affect communities. I would work to introduce a “late night levy” for licensed premises to fund the additional policing required in areas such as Prince of Wales Road in Norwich. Continue reading Why I want to become Norfolk’s next PCC