Matthew Barber re-elected Thames Valley PCC
The Conservative has held the position since 2021
Matthew Barber has been re-elected as the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, covering Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
The Conservative candidate achieved 144,092 of votes cast in the election held on Thursday 2 May. The Labour candidate Tim Starkey came second with 141,749 votes.
Matthew Barber was elected as Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Thames Valley in May 2021. He previously served as Deputy PCC from 2017 to 2021.
Delighted
Speaking following the declaration of the results, Matthew said:
“I am delighted to have been re-elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley.
“Over the past three years, I have worked with the brilliant officers and staff at Thames Valley Police to deliver tangible outcomes our communities can be proud of – a record number of police officers with the number in neighbourhood roles doubled, burglary rates below pre-pandemic levels, knife crime down 13% thanks, in part, to Operation Deter and a zero-tolerance approach to knife possession, the creation of a dedicated Rural Crime Taskforce and the launch of strategy to combat retail crime.
“But I know there is more to do. I campaigned on a platform of continuing to expand neighbourhood policing, protecting communities, people and property. I look forward to taking this plan forward and making Thames Valley a safer place for us all.”
The PCC elections took place on Thursday 2 May, and the count in Thames Valley was held today (Saturday 4 May) at Newbury Racecourse.
Five people put themselves forward to be the next Thames Valley Police and Crime commissioner. They were, the incumbent Matthew Barber, Lib Dem Matthew Bearder who got 84,341 votes, Independent Russell Douglas Fowler, who got 31,460 votes, Independent Ben Holden-Crowther who got 46,853 votes, and Labours Tim Starkey who came second with 141,749 votes.
What is a PCC?
Police and crime commissioners are elected to hold your police force to account for delivering the kind of policing you want to see.
Their aim is to cut crime and to ensure your police force is effective. PCCs bring a public voice to policing and they do this by:
Engaging with the public and victims of crime to help set police and crime plans;
Ensuring the police force budget is spent where it matters most; and
Appointing, and where necessary, dismissing the chief constable.
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