The Police and Crime Commissioner is an important public office, but I don’t believe it should become an ever more powerful one, nor should it ever have become a political one.
Of course the work of the police need to be scrutinised and the Chief Constable needs some authority through which they are held to account, but that should not be the responsibility of one person and one political agenda.
The Green Party has consistently argued that policing works best when it is accountable to local communities rather than concentrated in the hands of a single politician. In the long term, we would like to see Police and Crime Commissioners replaced with stronger, genuinely cross-party Police and Crime Panels that reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
While this role exists, however, I believe it should exercise its powers with humility and transparency.
That is why I oppose proposals to transfer responsibility for Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service to the Police and Crime Commissioner. Firefighters and police officers perform different roles, face different challenges and deserve governance arrangements that reflect those differences. Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service is already accountable through Norfolk County Council, and I see no compelling evidence that moving it under the PCC would improve services for residents.
Instead, I want to strengthen democratic oversight by working openly with councillors from every political party, the Police and Crime Panel and local communities. Good ideas don’t belong to one party, and neither should public safety.
For residents, this means decisions being made openly, scrutiny being welcomed rather than avoided, and local voices having genuine influence over the future of policing.
Public trust is earned through openness, accountability and collaboration. If elected, I would work with Norfolk’s communities—not simply speak on their behalf—and ensure that policing remains accountable to the people it serves.