Norfolk elects new Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner
People went to the polls on Thursday to choose their next PCC.
Last updated 10th May 2021
Norfolk has voted for Giles Orpen-Smellie (Conservative) to be its new Police and Crime Commissioner.
The former commissioner, Lorne Green, did not stand for re-election as he looks forward to his retirement.
Final results:
Giles Orpen-Smellie (Conservative) - 119,994
Michael Rosen (Labour) - 69,552
The other candidates, who didn't make it to the second round of voting, were: John Crofts (Lib Dem), David Moreland (Independent), Martin Schmierer (Green)
In an interview with Greatest Hits just after his victory, Mr Orpen-Smellie told us about some of the first things he plans to do in the job.
"I want to make sure that the police are in good order, that we are recruiting enough, that we're retaining enough, and that we're the welfare of our police officers.
"I then want to see our police officers having an effect on the ground.
One of the first issues Mr Orpen-Smellie will have to address when he is sworn into office is replacing the retiring chief constable, Simon Bailey.
Mr Orpen-Smellie told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:“Simon Bailey has done a great job, I’m sad he’s going, but he’s decided that it’s time to move on.”
“Selecting Simon’s replacement is probably the most important decision I will make in the next three years – get the leadership right, everything falls into place, get it wrong then things will begin to unravel.”
In selecting the next chief, the most important thing will be selecting someone he could work with, Mr Orpen-Smellie said.
“One thing you do not need is the Chief Constable and the PCC bickering amongst themselves – we’ve got to be working together.
“That’s not to say we agree on everything, I’m a great believer that the Chief Constable should feel free to challenge me in my views and I should feel free to challenge the Chief Constable.
“I don’t want a yes man or yes woman, but at the same time, I don’t need someone who’s going to constantly disagree.”
"The public want to see more visible policing, and I'm all for that."
He also told us that helping victims is among his priorities: "I need to work with the county council and the local authority's private and charity sector people, to deal with some of the causes of crime, get rid of those.
"I need to be able to support victims of crime, particularly by getting the court system to speed up and get people through there."
Volunteers have been celebrating the end of a long night of counting:
What is a Police and Crime Commissioner?
The role of the Police and Crime Commissioner is to be the voice of the people and hold their local police force to account.
The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners says the PCC for a local area is "responsible for the totality of policing".
They aim to cut crime and make sure the police service is efficient and effective.
They are elected to hold Chief Constables to account, and make sure they're answerable to the local people they serve.
A PCC is also expected to help improve local relationships through building confidence and restoring trust.