New Conservative PCC candidate for Wiltshire says he will come down hard on crime
A fresh election is taking place next month
The man selected as the Conservative candidate for Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner role says he wants to use his unique skills to help make the county safer.
Contrary to his controversial predecessor, Philip Wilkinson said he does not want to make the typical promises such as 100 extra officers for the county.
Instead he wants to work on delivering results with the skills he has acquired over the course of his career to analyse the specific requirements for Wiltshire.
Mr Wilkinson said:
"Clearly we do need more police and the only thing I am willing to guarantee is that I will push as hard as I can."
"I think my background would suggest I’m quite robust in identifying my goals and achieving them."
Mr Wilkinson served in the British Army for 31 years with the Royal Artillery, the Commando and Parachute Brigades and Special Forces before leaving to become a senior research fellow at King’s College London in 2000.
Over the last 20 years, he has worked with governments in Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine - work he says has made him an expert in policing and security. And he advised the President of Somalia on creating an internal security programme.
Mr Wilkinson said he will be "tougher than most" on crime, but added:
"I want to be supportive and compassionate with the victims of crime."
"One of things I have been doing is that I lecture on comprehensive security and that means looking at the causes, symptoms and and consequences, and I want to bring that to what I do."
In terms of county lines crime, Mr Wilkinson said he wants to come down hard on those exploiting young people into being part of the operation.
Following the chairman of the Wiltshire Police Federation’s open invitation to PCC candidates, Mr Wilkinson met with Mark Andrews to discuss the concerns of frontline staff.
He added that he firmly believes in looking after the troops and wants to help officers maximise their potential and “be happy, content and challenged."
Mr Wilkinson says that people have raised drugs, county lines, agricultural crime, hare coursing and petty crime in urban areas as Wiltshires main concern’s.
On the controversial proposals by former PCC Angus Macpherson to sell off some of the county’s less utilised police stations, Mr Wilkinson said he would have to carefully analyse the estate strategy.
When asked how he would deal with the inevitable criticism which will come from opponents reminded following the debacle in May's election he said:
"It’s bound to come up."
He made reference to MPs who resigned after offences came to light - such as Chris Huhne - noting that their respective parties did not foot the bill for by-elections,
"Democracy is a messy business."
"Of course if they want to shout at me, fine. I have a lot of sympathy for the individuals who stood as independents and lost money. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for the political parties, it happens in democracies."
"People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones and I’m not going to start attacking other people but I will defend myself if people have a go at me."
The Wiltshire PCC election will be held on August 19th.
Meanwhile Thames Valley Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding May's election.