John Smith, the current Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, has announced he will be standing as an independent candidate in the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections on 6th May.
Following the announcement that the postponed Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections are to go ahead on Thursday May 6, John Smith, who has extensive experience in the crime and criminal justice sector, has confirmed he will be standing as an independent candidate in Avon and Somerset.
John has lived with his wife, three children and his dog, Evie, in Bristol for 20 years. In his spare time, John enjoys walking Evie and watching and coaching football – he is a Bristol City season ticket holder and coaches his son’s U15 football team.
He says he is a ‘passionate believer’ in community safety who has dedicated himself to this cause and working with the police and partners over the last 12 years.
He was Chief Executive of the Avon and Somerset PCC team for eight years, working alongside current independent PCC Sue Mountstevens to deliver policing and public safety improvements for residents.
In 2020, to help meet the unique challenges of policing during the Covid-19 pandemic, John was appointed Deputy PCC following an open recruitment process.
Commenting on the announcement, John Smith says: “I am delighted to be announcing today my candidacy to be the next independent Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner. My extensive experience of police governance in the region and being a father of three children has only served to reinforce my passion and commitment to local communities and to keeping people safe.”
“As an independent, I have no political ties to any party and am the only candidate that can keep the party politics out of policing. I will only make decisions based on what is best for Avon and Somerset residents, and would answer only to them, not to party political bosses in Westminster. The safety of all local residents would be my first and only priority.”
John has played a key role in several significant achievements during his career working with Avon and Somerset Police which is currently ranked one of the top five forces in the country by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and has achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating for efficiency.
Avon and Somerset police has also managed to ringfence, prioritise, and protect neighbourhood policing despite significant central government cuts of 30 per cent over the last 10 years – and having one of the biggest funding gaps in the country compared to other major city areas.
As Deputy PCC, John has also been a key member of the team working to manage policing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. John added: “Keeping local people safe throughout this unprecedented pandemic has been a huge challenge for all police officers and staff, not to mention the other frontline workers in the NHS and beyond. This experience gives me the confidence and knowledge to navigate any future challenges the pandemic throws up and to help the people of Avon and Somerset to recover from COVID feeling safer and more secure than ever.”
If elected, John says his priorities to keep Avon and Somerset residents safe would be:
- Supporting the police to enforce the COVID regulations appropriately so we can get back to living normally as soon as possible
- Tackling knife and drug crime, including “County Lines”
- Catching burglars and reducing burglaries
- Combating anti-social behaviour
- Championing Avon and Somerset to become the most inclusive police force in the country
- Improving road safety
- Preventing fraud and cyber-crime
- Addressing rural crime and supporting rural communities
- Working in partnership to address business crime
Commenting on these priorities, John says: “My priorities reflect my experience and the many conversations I have had with communities across this diverse area. They cover inner city crime issues that may be most important to residents in Bristol as well as the concerns of people in more rural parts of the area. If local residents elect me as their next Police and Crime Commissioner, I will work hard every day to keep them all safe.”
Elections for the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner are being held on Thursday May 6. John’s full manifesto can be viewed on https://www.johnsmith4pcc.com/
In the spirit of transparency and for the avoidance of any perceived conflict of interest, John has taken the decision to step down from the Deputy PCC role at the beginning of the formal election period on 22 March.
