Voters across the Burnham-On-Sea area are today (Thursday, May 2nd) heading to polling stations able to vote on who should be the region’s next Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
The Avon and Somerset Police PCC election is being held with polling stations open across the Burnham-On-Sea area.
The position was first introduced in 2012 in a bid to reform policing and members of the public are given the opportunity to vote for a candidate every four years.
The main role of the PCC is to ensure that Avon and Somerset Police is doing its job properly by serving the public and overseeing the strategic direction of the force through the Police and Crime Plan.
It is also the PCC’s job to set the police budget, and to decide how much money the public should contribute to policing through council tax. The PCC is also in charge of appointing the chief constable – who is currently Sarah Crew – and holding them to account for the performance of the force’s officers and staff.
The PCC is answerable to the public and is expected to build and maintain trust by consulting with local people, the council and other organisations.
Candidates standing in today’s election:
Four political parties have nominated candidates for the election:
Benet Allen – Liberal Democrat
The former deputy leader of Somerset West and Taunton Council was born in Taunton and now lives in Minehead.
He has also been the portfolio holder for Communications and Corporate Resources, has previously worked in television news and is a trained helicopter pilot and aerial cameraman.
Katy Grant – Green Party
Katy Grant has represented the Clifton Ward since 2021 and is a magistrate with the Avon and Somerset Bench.
Prior to this, Ms Grant lived for 20 years in conflict and humanitarian contexts such as Somalia, Chad, and Afghanistan, and has worked with the United Nations.
She has worked in refugee camps and on borders, with a focus on the protection of women and children in the context of war and disaster.
Clare Moody – Labour
She is the chief executive of an equality and human rights charity, where she has worked on issues relating to violence against women and girls.
Between 2014 and 2019, she was a Member of the European Parliament for the south west and held the position of vice chair of the Security and Defence Committee, covering EuroPol.
She also spent time working in Downing Street, and worked for a trade union for 20 years.
Mark Shelford – Conservative
The current PCC, Mark Shelford, is seeking re-election. Since he was elected to the role in 2021, Mr Shelford has stood as the national PCC lead for economic and cyber-crime, and the chair of the Local Criminal Justice Board and the Prisoners Building Homes programme that aims to reduce re-offending.
Prior to working as the force’s PCC, he served as a local councillor and was the deputy leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council until 2019.
