THIS week we profile the candidates for the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner post ahead of this month’s election.

Today we question Labour’s Tim Starkey, 38, from Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire

 

Relevant experience: I have worked as a prosecutor and defence lawyer in police stations, courts and prisons, specialising in prosecuting child trafficking.

Why Oxfordshire should vote for me: I will fight against 20 per cent cuts to police funding but also work to create a more efficient service that really supports victims of crime.

My key priorities include better co-ordination of domestic violence services to end the situation where women can end up being passed between several agencies before getting the help they need.

I will work in partnership with Thames Valley’s IT industry to combat internet fraud and keep our children safe online and free from cyber bullying.

I will work with mentoring charities and other voluntary groups to provide young people with positive alternatives to antisocial behaviour and gangs.

I have lived and worked in Oxford and Bucks. I know the Thames Valley and understand how the criminal justice system works, and sometimes fails people.

Which crimes in Oxfordshire and Oxford city will you prioritise? Burglary, domestic violence, sexual assaults and antisocial behaviour.

How will you prevent more crime? Tackling drug addiction and reducing opportunities for crime in partnership with councils through better lighting, CCTV and protecting youth services.

How will you solve more crime? Building co-operation with victims and witnesses is the key to successful prosecutions through individual domestic violence advisers and support for victims of sexual crime, where detection rates are falling. Best practice in tackling burglary needs to be shared, as some areas have three times higher detection rates than others.

Where in Oxfordshire and Oxford city would you spend more money? Flexibility as problems arise is vital, as demonstrated by the effective response to the spike in burglaries in East Oxford earlier this year.

Where do you see opportunities for the force to save money in Oxford and Oxfordshire? Cutting paperwork and layers of management.

How would you ensure budget cuts do not lead to crime rising? Greater efficiency, for example through sharing IT with Hampshire, is vital. However, without a small rise in the police precept, police numbers will be decimated and the big reduction in crime achieved under Labour reversed.

However, I would limit any increase to £6 a year for an average property.

How important is the police’s relationship with the public and how will you develop this? Most crimes are solved by help from the public and Labour’s policy of neighbourhood policing has really helped. I will use social media to build communication with other groups, such as young people, whose voice is often unheard.

Thames Valley is a large area, how will you make sure Oxford is represented? By handing back some powers over budgets and priorities to local policing boards, to target resources where they are most needed.

How will we be able to measure your success after your first 100 days? Will I have set a crime plan that is starting to improve efficiency? A budget that protects police numbers? Effective communication with all communities in Thames Valley?

A POLICE and Crime Commissioner will be elected in the Thames Valley for the first time on Thursday, November 15. The £85,000-a-year post’s responsibilities include setting the police force’s budget and priorities. They will also have the power to appoint and dismiss the chief constable.

The winner will start work on November 22. Elections will be held every four years.