Conservative candidate Angelique Foster has been voted in as Derbyshire’s new police and crime commissioner.
Foster is a Derbyshire resident of 20 years, and has a masters degree in Law from Sheffield University.
She has served as a local councillor and town council leader for a number of years, and is currently the cabinet member for corporate services at Derbyshire County Council, where her portfolio includes finance, legal, property, HR and IT.
She told us: “The role of the police and crime commissioner is to be the voice of the people and to hold the police to account.”
She identified her priorities as being:
– A more visible police force and better engagement with the public
– A tougher approach to tackling crime
– Tackling antisocial behaviour
– Tackling rural crime, theft and burglaries
– Cutting down speeding and make our roads safer
– Reducing fly-tipping
– Tackling illegal encampments
– Treating pet theft as a serious crime
– Dealing with complex issues of domestic violence and drug related crime
Mrs Foster also pledged to recruit more police officers and PCSOs and revive the special constable recruitment scheme.
She wants to increase police patrols in towns and villages as well as in larger urban areas to deter criminals, as well as increasing the number of police officers in the rural crime team.
She pledged to work with local agencies to drive down antisocial behaviour and support schemes to increase CCTV and ANPR camera in crime hot spots.
She also wants to further the use of stop and search powers to keep the public safe.
The newly-elected PCC said prior to her election: “I have been at the forefront of providing strong leadership to reform public services.
“This has meant leading on prudent budgeting and robust financial management to properly prioritise and manage demands, reducing waste of resources and providing more effective and efficient services.
“I will apply the same principles in setting and managing Derbyshire Police multi-million-pound budget and ensuring policing is delivered effectively across Derbyshire and Derby City.”
Angelique Foster earned 149,749 votes in total, with Labour’s Hardyal Singh Dhindsa receiving a total of 117,564 once both first and second preference votes were counted.
In the first round of voting, Mrs Foster took an early lead with 137,884 votes, while Mr Dhindsa had 104,700.
The turnout for the election was 35.74%, up from 23.93% in 2016 and 14.75% in 2012.