POLITICS


Cyber crime is a priority for new PCCs


Amid all the hyperbole surrounding the forthcoming EU Referendum, there was a very different kind of ballot across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire recently which slipped under many people’s radar. The three counties all elected Police and Crime Commissioners, who will be responsible for overseeing the activities of their respective forces for the next four years. Business Network Editor Jon Smart profiles the three men at the helm.


Paddy Tipping is no stranger to the office of the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). Having served as the county’s first ever PCC


after winning the inaugural election in 2012, he was the only commissioner in the Chamber’s East Midlands heartland to return for a second term. His reaction to the result was a simple one. “I’m chuffed”, he said. Mr Tipping, who represented


Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood constituency as a Labour MP for 18 years, received more than 80,000 first preference votes during the poll, which took place on 5 May. He was up against Conservative Tony Harper,


UKIP's Fran Loi, and two independent candidates – businessman Tony Bates and Ashfield District and Notts County Councillor Jason Zadrozny. Although ahead at the end of the first


preference vote, Mr Tipping secured only 47.36%, not the ‘more than 50%’ needed to avoid a second preference count. He went head-to-head with his Tory rival for


the second count, finishing well ahead with 89,749 votes to 56,105, enough to secure his re-election. "It's a privilege to be re-elected with a good


majority,” he said. “It was a great honour to be the PCC for the


past three-and-a-half years and I'm looking forward to the next four years."


20 business network June 2016 Although Mr Tipping was a Labour candidate,


the role is apolitical and all PCC’s are required to swear an oath of impartiality when they take office. PCCs are responsible for making sure police


forces are run effectively. They were brought in by the Coalition Government to give local people more say on how their police work. They can hire – and fire – chief constables, help link police to communities and set out force priorities. Mr Tipping will also be in charge of setting the


force’s budget and scrutinising its performance. Cyber crime is one of his top priorities. He said: "We're going to continue to protect neighbourhood policing and we'll be working hard to tackle online crime, which is a big concern. "We'll also be working hard to put a plan into


place in case we have a Paris-style terrorism attack in Nottingham. I am in discussion with the Home Office about having more armed response units and it's going well so far." In addition to his role as Nottinghamshire's


PCC, Mr Tipping is Chairman of the Nottinghamshire Community Foundation and of the Notts LIFT Co partnerships, which have built many of Nottingham's and Nottinghamshire's new health centres. He is also Vice-President of the Ramblers’


Association and occasionally works as a Lecturer at the University of Nottingham.


A Labour candidate also took the PCC role in


Derbyshire. Hardyal Dhindsa won the election after a second preference count with 78,858 votes. His nearest rival was Conservative candidate Richard Bright, with 77,245 votes. Lib Dem Tom Snowdon and UKIP’s Stuart


Yeowart were the other candidates. Mr Dhindsa has lived and worked in


Derbyshire for over 40 years and has raised his family in the county. He has ten years’ experience on the Derbyshire Police Authority and was the lead non-executive member that implemented the Steven Lawrence inquiry recommendations locally. He has been a senior elected Labour member


of Derby City Council and has held a number of key Cabinet posts for over 20 years. In 2013, he became Derbyshire’s Deputy PCC,


working with outgoing Commissioner Alan Charles, who stood down after serving one term. His top priorities include lobbying Government


for a fairer funding deal for Derbyshire, maximising the use of ICT systems to drive operational efficiency and developing a robust response to new and emerging crimes such as human trafficking and cyber crime. He said: “It’s important that we both listen to


people and keep them informed in a way that suits them. Communication of all kinds has to work well, and that is my goal. It’s not just about talking to people. Listening to, understanding and taking up what they say is the first step. I will be announcing new projects in the next few weeks which will help me reach a wider audience. There is an action plan to improve matters and I intend to keep a very close eye on progress.” Lord Willy Bach is the new PCC for


Leicestershire, after Conservative Sir Clive Loader stepped down from the post after one term in office. The Labour candidate took the post after


beating Tory Neil Bannister by 78,188 votes to 58,305 votes, after a second preference count.


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