Community policing and integrity top of the agenda for Bedfordshire's new police and crime commissioner

The triumphant Labour candidate John Tizard attributed his success in becoming the new Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner to “his commitment to restore community policing and being a PCC with integrity”.

Mr Tizard, who topped the poll with 40,738 votes, told the local democracy reporting service: “It’s a great result for Bedfordshire and for the Labour Party.

“I think what won the campaign was my commitment to restore community policing, my commitment to be a PCC with integrity, and because people in the county and across the country are seeing Labour as the answer to their problems, offering hope and a positive programme.”

Mr Tizard, who takes up office on Thursday, (May 9) described his main priority as “beginning to consult on and draft a new police and crime plan” saying: “This will set the agenda for policing in the county.

“But I also want to be reaching out to key stakeholders, other public services, community leaders and the wider criminal justice system in the county, so we can begin to have a coherent and comprehensive approach to preventing and resolving crime.”

Asked what this plan would contain, he replied: “There were six visions in my manifesto. The most important, relevant and urgent is to restore good community neighbourhood policing.

“This is where police officers are based in communities, working with them, helping to solve problems, and developing partnerships with councillors and the wider local community.

“I want to set out a new platform building on the successes and the achievements of the police in Bedfordshire.

“But I’ve a clear vision of a different style of policing and a very different style of PCC. My message is we need to be tough on crime, but we must also have zero tolerance about the causes of crime.

“I want to work with communities and other agencies to get crime prevention, particularly around young people before they fall into the trap of crime and into the criminal justice system.”

Reflecting on policing in the rural areas of the county, Mr Tizard added: “I live in Shefford and I’ll represent every town and little village.

“Every part of Bedfordshire deserves to have an outstanding police service. We need to develop a plan which ensures those resources are allocated equitably and fairly where the need is.

“The big populations are in Bedford and Luton, but we must never ignore the small towns, villages and hamlets of the county.”

Defeated Conservative PCC Festus Akinbusoye confessed his disappointment in defeat, saying: “If I’d been told in three years in the role I’d oversee the recruitment of the highest number of police officers in Bedfordshire’s history, I’m not sure any commissioner would top that volume of increase in a long time to come.

“The retention is going up, the culture of the organisation is very good now, so I think the foundation is where it should be and I wish Mr Tizard the very best going forwards.”