“It was a deliberate (and rather feeble) act of defiance against the prospect of having an elected Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). I was appalled at the politicisation of the police force and furious at the extraordinary waste of money at a time of increased austerity.

And I wasn’t alone.

The turnout for the 2012 PCC elections was just 15%, amply demonstrating that the public is just not engaged with the process, is disinterested, or like me, appalled at the prospect of an elected representative of a political party being in charge of policing in Devon and Cornwall.

However, I have already cast my postal vote in the PCC elections in favour of Independent candidate, Bob Spencer.

I am still angry, as I was in 2012, about the ludicrous waste of money, but I decided that if we were to be stuck with the system of elected PCCs, then it had better be an Independent candidate!

And who better?

Take 5 minutes to read about Bob on his website (http://bob-spencer-4-pcc.co.uk/about-me/). He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and 30 years of experience of policing and will have no need to employ expensive consultants to steer him through the complexities of managing the D&C force.

I wish Bob well in the final days of electioneering. As he says on his website:

“A strong leader who will not shy from unpopular decisions, I will advocate vociferously for the community to have the policing they want and need. Critically I have the skills and experience needed to challenge the Police to ensure they deliver for the communities of Devon, Cornwall, Torbay and Isles of Scilly. As an Independent I am free to act and free to speak on your behalf without political pressures.”