Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) are elected to oversee how crime is tackled in your police force area. Their aim is to cut crime and to ensure your police force is effective. The election to decide on who will become the PCC for West Mercia for the next four years will take place on May 5th.

The candidates for this area have now declared their intention to stand and anyone interested can read their biographies and the reasons why they are standing at www.choosemypcc.org.uk

The Conservative Party Candidate is John-Paul Campion who has a background in business, Local Government, the Prison Service and with the former police authority.

He said that he will be keen to ensure there are enough officers to keep people safe against threats locally and nationally, including having enough armed police. He will champion innovation and modernise the back office to divert more money to protect front line policing. He will also invest in crime prevention to tackle the root causes of crime.

Peter Anthony Edmund Jewell is the UKIP candidate. He has served as a magistrate and has many year’s experience in business.

He is concerned that despite large sums spent on national security, there is no hope of guaranteeing safety from external threats unless we have control of our country’s borders. Locally, he has concerns that rural areas are under-policed, whilst child and domestic crime, as well as theft and burglary, are increasing, with detection rates for the latter falling. He said he would be prepared to challenge the government on funding if he felt it necessary.

The Green Party candidate is John Watson Raine, a professor at Birmingham University specialising in policing and criminal justice.

Throughout his career he has worked with senior police and criminal justice officials, and he has also served as a local councillor – at parish, district and county levels. He favours devolving as much responsibility as possible to local commanders of policing areas.

He wants to increase speed enforcement on our roads, and the visibility of police on our streets, he would like to see an increase in under-reported crimes as people become more confident. He also supports more investment in activities for young people.

Margaret Rowley is the Lib Dem candidate. Her top priorities are to make West Mercia Police more trusted, more effective and more efficient – by better use of technology and partnership working.

She believes that local people are being let down by under-investment and a lack of strong leadership.

She said that her 20 year’s experience as an elected councillor means that she will be listening to the community, championing your views and where possible achieving your priorities.

Barrie Sheldon is standing as an Independent candidate. He believes that policing must remain both independent and impartial. He believes that politics must not be allowed to interfere as it brings a narrow agenda that could damage the front line of policing that we all rely on and need to have trust in.

He has been Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner since 2011 and has played a strategic role in protecting front line policing and bolstered police numbers in West Mercia, while nationally numbers have dropped. He said he is proud that confidence in the West Mercia police force is above the national average and is rising. He said that victim services, key policing partnerships and local policing have all been strengthened during his term.

The Labour candidate is Daniel Walton. He promises to demand the government gives the police the funds they need.

He says he will not be complicit with the Tory councils across West Mercia in cutting police services. He said he will put victims first and make them feel confident that when they report a crime it will be investigated. Over the last five years police numbers across West Mercia have dropped by 18% and half the PCSOs have gone.

He will prioritise domestic violence, anti-social behaviour and hate crime and encourage the police to work with other agencies.