Conservative Ben Adams re-elected as Staffordshire's Police Fire & Crime Commissioner

Ben Adams has been elected

Author: Adam SmithPublished 3rd May 2024

Conservative candidate Ben Adams has been re-elected as Staffordshire's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

He narrowly beat Labour Hopeful Alastair Watson by just over 3,000 votes.

Adams will now serve another four year term.

The full results were:

Ben Adams, Conservative - 73,500

Alec Sandiford, Liberal Democrats - 17,600

Alastair Scott Watson, Labour & Co-operative Party - 70,128

What is the role for?

The Commissioner is elected by the public and acts as the publics voice, holding the Police Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer, and their services, to account and making them answerable to the communities they serve.

Commissioners work to deliver an effective and efficient Police and Fire & Rescue service while ensuring community needs are met as effectively as possible by working closely with local partners. The office works in partnership across a range of agencies at local and national level to ensure there is a unified approach across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Commissioners do not run the Police and Fire & Rescue services at an operational level, but they ensure that those who are in charge are doing a good job. They decide priorities for each service, detailing them in the Police & Crime Plan and Fire & Rescue Plan, and set their budgets.

Staffordshire's Police Fire & Crime Commissioner has the following responsibilities:

  • Holds the Police and Fire & Rescue services to account on your behalf
  • Sets local Police and Fire & Rescue priorities and their budgets
  • Works with local partners to join up priorities and keep communities safe
  • Provides a voice for local communities around their concerns
  • Puts in place arrangements to deliver efficient services
  • Funds victim support services and crime prevention services
  • Appoints and dismisses the Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer
  • Contributes to national and international capabilities

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