If elected as the next Police & Crime Commissioner on 2nd May, I will build a stronger and enduring relationship between the Gloucestershire Police and the agricultural community.
There will always be more police in the towns and cities than in the countryside
The reality is, that there will always be less police officers in isolated rural areas than the highly populated towns and cities, but in Gloucestershire all crime must matter.
Agricultural crime needs a bespoke police response
‘To tackle agricultural crime the police must provide a bespoke service that meets the threats you face and to do that, they must first understand what is needed. I will commit to retaining and upskilling rural crime officers, but they alone are no match for the organised gangs who travel to Gloucestershire to steal high value machinery and even livestock’.
Taking on the criminal gangs that target isolated farms and communities
These criminal gangs are dangerous and often violent when confronted, so I will expect the officers whose job it is to prevent and detect organised crime, to monitor them and regularly and when necessary, confront them with all necessary means and force.
Agriculture is vital to the success of Gloucestershire
For almost nine years I served as an Independent, but now I am standing with Liberal Democrat support who have encouraged me to act as an independent voice for policing in Gloucestershire; to keep party politics out of policing, so the police can get on with protecting you.