Friday, September 21, 2012

A Manifesto for Effective Policing in Bedfordshire

Kevin Carroll, the joint vice-chairman of the British Freedom Party, is running for Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner. Below is his manifesto, which was recently published at his campaign website.

Kevin Carroll in Walthamstow, Sept. 1 2012

Kevin Carroll — “The People’s Candidate” for Bedfordshire PCC

Manifesto for Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Election 2012

In Brief

It will be my overarching goal as Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to make Bedfordshire a county where criminals truly fear the consequences of crime; where women, children, the elderly and vulnerable feel safe to walk in town centres, streets and housing estates by day or by night.

My commitments as Commissioner

  • Zero tolerance for extremist and terrorist activity in Bedfordshire.
  • Zero tolerance for possession of knives and other weapons.
  • Robust and decisive measures to cut drug-dealing and drug-related offences.
  • Put the needs of victims before those of criminals.
  • Zero tolerance for anti-social behaviour that blights the lives of many Bedfordshire citizens.
  • Strong measures to protect children from dangerous drivers.
  • Aggressively pursue so-called ‘honour’ crimes.
  • End politically correct, two-tier policing.

My Credentials

As a proud Lutonian born and bred, I can think of few greater honours than to be chosen by the citizens of Bedfordshire to serve as their voice on policing and crime in our county. The PCC role will be a demanding one, and my aim here is to show the people of Bedfordshire that I am the right individual for the job.

The transition from Police Authority to elected Commissioner in November 2012 represents a major shift in the way policing will be managed, potentially making police far more accountable to the communities they serve. But for this new arrangement to work will require a PCC of dynamism, drive and dedication, someone who knows the county like the back of his hand, a natural communicator who can build bridges between the police and public.

Communicating and building effective working relationships is what I do best, both in my work as a team leader in the construction industry and in my political activities. These skills will be critical for me as PCC, working alongside the Chief Constable and front-line officers, the various agencies the police work with, other forces (especially Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, partners in the three-way ‘Strategic Alliance’), Special Constables and other volunteers, and last but not least the citizens of Bedfordshire.

I’ve been actively involved in my local community for many years, and have seen first-hand the devastation that crime causes and the way victims are sometimes left to deal with the consequences without adequate support. This is something that I am determined to change. On the other side, my experience of liasing with police forces across Britain in organising public events has strengthened my admiration for their dedication and professionalism.

It is my nature to seek conciliation rather than confrontation, solutions rather than problems, but as PCC I will not shrink from hard decisions wherever the force fails to provide the kind of service that the people of Bedfordshire deserve.

My Commitments for Policing and Crime in Bedfordshire

1. Zero tolerance for extremist and terrorist activity in Bedfordshire

For me as a Lutonian, it is tragic that for many people around the world Luton is synonymous with extremism. Youth radicalisation in Bedfordshire is a problem that requires a far stronger response than the government’s failed Prevent strategy. Hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money are wasted on that programme, money that could and should be used to avert cuts in police funding and save front-line officers’ jobs.

I have spoken at anti-terrorism conferences around the world, most recently a conference in New York commemorating the terrible events of September 11, 2001, and it is clear to me that the problem of extremism is not going to go away any time soon. As Commissioner I will work closely with the Chief Constable to bring the problem of extremism in Bedfordshire into the open so that it can be dealt with robustly.

2. Zero tolerance for possession of knives and other weapons

The Bedfordshire force has made good progress in the past few years in tackling violent crime, and this will remain a top priority. As Commissioner I will institute a crackdown on possession of knives and offensive weapons, so that parents need no longer worry for their children’s safety when they are out.

Repeat offending and youth offending will be prioritised in all crime categories, with the aim of greatly reducing crime long-term.

3. Robust and decisive measures to cut drug-dealing and drug-related offences

By aggressively targeting hard drug dealing I intend to significantly reduce street robberies and other drug-related offences.

4. Put the needs of victims before those of criminals

It is a common complaint that criminals receive more care and resources than their victims. As Commissioner I will seek to reverse this by coordinating police and support agencies to respond more effectively to the immediate and long-term needs of crime victims.

5. Zero tolerance for anti-social behaviour that blights the lives of many Bedfordshire citizens

Persistent anti-social behaviour can make residents’ lives a living hell. As Commissioner, I will adopt a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy towards anti-social behaviour and low-level crime, both to improve quality of life for residents and for the ‘knock-on’ effect’ it will have in reducing serious crime.

I will increase foot patrols in residential areas so as to increase face-to-face contact, which is critical in building trust between police and the public.

6. Strong measures to protect children from dangerous drivers

Road accidents are a serious and continuing threat to children in Bedfordshire, and too often are caused by dangerous driving in residential streets or near schools or play areas. As Commissioner, I will advocate that reckless, careless or intoxicated drivers be dealt with harshly. At the prevention level, I will strongly support workable proposals to divert traffic away from children’s areas.

7. Aggressively pursue so-called ‘honour’ crimes

There is no honour in murder, nor in any of the other crimes labelled as ‘honour’-based. I welcome Bedfordshire’s recent initiative on ‘honour’ crimes and look forward to strengthening it so that perpetrators of such crimes can expect to feel the full force of the law.

8. End politically correct, two-tier policing

There must be a ‘level playing field’ in policing, with everyone policed equally regardless of their background or where they live. I want to see an end to political correctness, forced on police officers by politicians and hampering their ability to tackle crime. As Commissioner I will resist any and all attempts by central government or local politicians to politicise the operations of Bedfordshire police.

Managing the Budget

Cuts in police budgets nationwide mean that Bedfordshire must make substantial savings (£19m between 2011 and 2015) whilst at the same time improving quality of policing. I am confident that we can meet this challenge by:

  • exploring further opportunities for improving efficiency through the Strategic Alliance with Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire;
  • exploring new opportunities for collaboration and resource sharing with other forces and agencies;
  • ensuring wherever possible that desk roles are carried out by civilians, not police officers, and eliminating pointless bureaucracy;
  • making best use of Special Constables and other volunteers (encouraging public participation in policing will be one of my key duties as PCC);
  • learning from other police forces; one of my first acts as Commissioner will be to initiate a study of successful cost-saving strategies by other UK and European forces, that Bedfordshire might benefit from;
  • cutting free translation services to foreign offenders.

Public Engagement

Communicating is what I do best, and will be central to my role as ‘the voice of the people’ on policing and crime, and in encouraging greater public engagement. As Commissioner I will:

  • hold regular ‘surgeries’ where citizens can meet with me face-to-face to air their concerns and ideas on policing and crime;
  • visit schools, old people’s homes, parents’ groups, residents’ groups and business and community organisations to talk about the work of Bedfordshire police and to get public input;
  • support neighbourhood watch and other schemes that encourage local people to ‘look out’ for one another;
  • instigate a fundamental review of policing in rural areas to improve crime prevention and response there;
  • issue regular online reports of my activities, and enable members of the public to contact me directly online;
  • initiate a rolling programme of public meetings to address crime and policing issues in towns, villages and neighbourhoods across the county;
  • establish clear lines of communication with senior police officers so that they can respond quickly to public input relating to their respective areas of responsibility.

12 comments:

Fortress said...

where women, children, the elderly and vulnerable

No mention of law abiding men, and their desire to be peaceful and safe. Ah well, we all know what place the white male has in western society now.

Erik said...

No weapons? Point 2 seems rather out of place on this list except as a utopian goal after everything else is solved.

bilbo said...

effective policing?!
what ever makes you think that is either necessary or desireable?
or rather that that is not what we already have?
the bureaucratically crippled pc pc is all that we could want.
heavens forbid that criminals should be punished without their free trip to an exotic country or expert councilling.
or that jonny foreigner does not deserve the benefit of the doubt when caught doing something naughty.

K. from Germany said...

"4. Put the needs of victims before those of criminals"

This is i.m.o. one of the most important commitments, one that reaches far beyond current problems. I believe it is the one big shortfall of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that it lacks a paragraph stating explicitly, that in case of any conflict of interests in regards to human rights, those who were harmed receive precedence over those who committed the offense.

Ex-Dissident said...

He comes across as an overbearing statist. Instead of having the police take care of everyone, allow the locals to defend themselves.

Anonymous said...

Instead of zero tolerance for knives and other weapons, make self defense legal again.

Stop blaming the inanimate object and arrest the criminal for the crime he commits.

Anonymous said...


The police can't be everywhere. Let people defend themselves with weapons. It's the only way the small men, women and the elderly can fight back.

Otherwise the moment the police leave, it's back to business as usual for the bad guys.

As it is, the laws turn any Brit who defends himself into a criminal. That's just evil.

Anonymous said...

Oh get a grip. Kev knows far more about real life in Luton than some of the immature commenters on this thread.

Allow people to wander about with knives etc? We all know what that would lead to. You can hide a machete under a man-dress!

Kev's proposals are well thought out and this is exactly the kind of project we should all be getting behind, 100%.

Or is sitting around moaning on a website all some people are up for? Because as recent events have shown very clearly - that won't do it.

We have to get some of our own people into positions of influence. This is a start.

Nemesis said...

These are all good points that have been put forward by a person who appreciates law and order.

If the victims of crime status is going to be put back in place where it should never have be allowed to fall from, then the new Commissioner will have many appeals to consider in Magistrates Courts before the Magistrates finally get the message.

Confiscating knives in public places is mission impossible unless profiling becomes acceptable under the new order, it may then become a success.

I note some commentors have suggested allowing the citizenry to arm themselves. In todays climate that would be a mistake because it would mainly be the Muslims who would take up that option.

If he is elected, and I have my fingers and toes crossed for him, then we may see some law and order finally coming back into the streets of Luton.

Anonymous said...

anonymous 9:44

From a Yank's perspective, your snide complaints could have easily come from Obama or Bloomberg.

Believe it or not people are allowed to defend themselves and have done so quite well over the centuries. It's called a right to life that no government can take away. Even Saddam Hussein allowed his people to arm themselves against criminals. This rubbish of letting some two bit overpaid bureaucrat to protect your life and property is the result of Socialist conditioning. Your right existed long before they came and took it away along with yours means of doing so. Now you're like so many fattened Dodo's.

I read it in the results of it everyday in your papers. Even openly speaking out against the PC/MC status quo can lend you in jail. Yet your Muzzies can threaten to kill people with impunity. Native Brits are forced out of communities in a form of ethnic cleansing. Without a peep from your elected representatives, media and police.

You're alone, your government and the elites have abandoned you in favor of your successors. If you don't want to end up as a footnote of liquidated ethnic groups, start standing up for yourselves and working together. Depending on the authorities will get you more of the same.

Scabrous Little Pig said...

All well and good, of course, but the Common Purpose-trained chief constables of Britain would never stand for any of it.

Kirk Parker said...

"Zero tolerance for possession of knives and other weapons."

Ah, so self-defense is right out. I see...