Vote for Tim Passmore - Here's his Manifesto

This is the last week in which to make up your mind over who to vote for in the PCC elections this Thursday. I have been walking the streets many times to deliver leaflets with Tim Passmore, our Tory candidate for Suffolk and have been impressed with his positivity, hard work, articulate replies to questions by residents and his knowledge about problems in both Suffolk and Ipswich.

Below is his manifesto, which you can also get from his website www.votetimpassmore.co.uk

Vote for Tim - He really will serve us all well in the new role and will have the respect of the police, residents, colleagues and all relevant partners.

Manifesto for Suffolk

Police and Crime

Commissioner

Introduction

In my view the position of Police and Crime Commissioner is all about cutting crime in Suffolk and making our county even safer. For the first time since the police service was formed by politician Robert Peel in 1829 there will be direct democratic accountability for an annual budget of £125 million of our money. The role is not about political interference with operational policing matters, it is about creating the best possible environment to support an effective and efficient police service to meet the needs of people in Suffolk.

Like other public services police are facing cuts in funding due to the parlous state of the nation’s finances. The country cannot continue living beyond its means. We will therefore have to find innovative and practical solutions in Suffolk to reduce crime and maintain Suffolk’s reputation of providing a good police service at low cost to taxpayers.

If elected to the role of Police and Crime Commissioner I will improve the efficacy and efficiency of Suffolk Police through:-

Greater Visibility of Policing
 I will seek to reduce bureaucracy and ensure more time is made available for front-line officers to do the job they trained to do. Time currently spent supervising criminals and offenders in detention centres, hospitals
and behind desks can be carried out by other staff. I will do everything possible to maintain 1200 officers as
a minimum number.
 I will support Special Constables and PCSO’s as an important component of policing.
Improve respect for Law and Order
 I will work with appropriate organisations to improve parenting.
 I will encourage youth to become positive advocates for law and order and will work with schools, youth
groups, youth parliament and other groups as appropriate.

Robust approach to repeat offenders
 A disproportionate number of offences are committed by recidivist offenders. I will use a ‘carrot and stick’
approach. People deserve a second chance but not a third, fourth, fifth etc. Committed criminals who
steadfastly refuse to reform their lifestyles when able to need to face harsher sentences.
 Each prison place costs the taxpayer £40,000 per year. Offenders with mental health problems, low levels of numeracy and literacy and few work skills need support. We must educate prisoners and use prisons with a purpose as well as community payback schemes.
 I also support work with charity and private sector for placements – Sport, Princes Trust, Local authorities etc.

Victim Support
 I support the use of restorative justice where victims feel it will assist them. I would like to see victims able
to track the progress of crime investigations effectively. I support and respect the work of the voluntary
sector which provides practical support to victims. I believe victims who feel their case is being well dealt
with will have improved confidence in policing.
 I support a proactive approach to crime prevention and applaud the work of groups such as Neighbourhood Watch. Preventing a crime stops a victim being created and potentially saves many thousands of pounds
spent investigating crime, prosecuting and incarcerating an offender.

Drugs and Organised Crime
 I support a continued focus on stamping out drug dealing and organised crime in Suffolk. As demonstrated
by the deaths of five young women in Suffolk in 2006 drug abuse leads to many other crimes and social
decay. Drug abuse and organised crime blight an area and make it less attractive for inward investment and
economic growth.
 I would encourage more education for young people on the devastating personal consequences of drug
abuse.

Problem Families
 The Home Office has estimated problem families can each cost up to £250,000 per year to manage. This is unacceptable. If elected I will use the Commissioners powers to support agency collaboration, early
intervention, joined up thinking and positive action to prevent and deal effectively with problem families.

Domestic Violence and Abuse
 This is a serious problem in our communities and one which I will not ignore. I will ensure police work with local authorities, health service and charities to exchange data and information to keep the vulnerable safe.

Motoring and Cycling
 I support positive action to stop speeding in our villages. I would like to see more young drivers taking
advanced driving courses. I strongly support the use of technology to purge drivers who avoid tax and
vehicle insurance and fuel duty. I will work other agencies to avoid major congestion on main roads and
improve engineering design.
 We need more modern and safe truck stops on our major roads such as the A14 and A12 to improve security
and well- being for the haulage and logistics industry
 By working with the Highways Agency and Local Authorities we need to improve Suffolk’s cycle network to help improve safety, encourage exercise and help the visitor economy

Business
 In my view policing can support local business more effectively. If elected I will look carefully at where
supplies are sourced. Wherever possible I will support the use of locally sourced products.
 I will ensure police are working effectively with business to reduce crime. Making Suffolk even safer will
improve the developing visitor economy.
 I will continue to hold regular business forums to hear concerns and share solutions to business policing
issues.
 If elected I would like to see the development of a proper apprenticeship scheme in the police service to
provide employment opportunities for our young people
Rural, Wildlife and Marine Crime
 Ensuring more visible frontline policing, reducing bureaucracy and improving the use of technology should
improve police response times in remote areas. I support the use of target hardening by land owners,
farmers and boat owners and the use of Farm and Marine Watch to prevent and detect rural and marine
crime.

Taxation
 If elected I will do everything possible to ensure there is no tax rise next year by accepting the government’s
precept freeze grant.

Saving Money and Increasing Income
 We need to make better use of the resources available to us. If elected I will reduce costs by cutting
unnecessary duplication. Currently Suffolk spends more than £5 billion every year in the public sector. The
public service owns more than 2500 properties here. I would like to see deeper co-operation between Local
Authorities, CPS, Youth Offending, Health, Probation Service etc. to make more effective use of public assets.
 I would like to see zero based budgeting to coincide with comprehensive spending review (CSR) settlements. I will listen to ideas from the workforce for saving money. I will ensure the best use is made of technology – reports, evidence, DNA, video, I-pads etc. I will need to see proper business plans for all commissioned contracts /areas of work.
 If elected I will ensure the best possible use is made of the Community Infra-structure Levy (CIL) , Tax
Increment Financing (TIF), government and EU grants individually or through partnership working.
Fair share of national resources for Suffolk
 I will ensure that Suffolk has the central government/private funding to meet the demands made on policing
by the national resources sited here. Strategic national assets such as Sizewell, Felixstowe Dock, Orbis
energy, Newmarket racecourse and Wattisham Airbase create policing pressures and it is only right that
Suffolk is properly subsidised for these costs.

Management and Morale
 Suffolk Police have undergone significant change over the last ten years. To improve morale I want to create a stable environment for the members of Suffolk Constabulary.
 Generally I believe in a balanced scorecard approach to management – less hierarchy but more autonomy,
responsibility and accountability to and by staff.

Engagement
 The Police and Crime Commissioner will be directly accountable to the voters in Suffolk. If elected I intend to
remain accessible and accountable to members of the public who will be able to contact me direct.
 More formally I will hold quarterly ‘Meet the Commissioner’ meetings in each constituency with
representatives of interested community groups. I will do the same for Police Federation and Police staff as
required.
 I will host business forums on a quarterly basis. Businesses pay large sums of money through the Uniform
Business Rate and have no direct influence on how the money is spent. I am committed to ensuring the
business community has a prominent influence in fighting crime in Suffolk.
 I will develop a communication strategy to make effective use of technology to deliver an effective channel
for hearing from, and communicating with, people in Suffolk.