Tory PCC’s  failings

Labour  PCC candidate for West Mercia, Kuldip Sahota, slams Tory PCC’s  failings, “he should had worked on protecting the victims of crime rather than building his empire and tearing up alliance.” 

Kuldip Sahota, former Telford and Wrekin Council Leader, has launched his bid to become the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) with the aim of improving police services, reducing crime and taking control of spending.  

The Labour Councillor has hit out at the current PCC, John Campion, and his catalogue of failings in his bid to be re-elected on May 6.  

Kuldip explained: “John Campion has stumbled from one fiasco to another over the past five years. With half a decade of blunders under his belt, like most people I was looking forward to John moving on and letting someone more qualified take the wheel. Instead, he has once again put his name forward and further endanger the public and impact our dedicated police officers with his continued incompetence.

“His record speaks volumes. In 2018 Her Majesty’s inspector of constabulary {HMICFRS} said   overall grading in West Mercia, “requires improving” and on tackling serious and organised crime grade was,” inadequate”.

 Two years ago , he suddenly and abruptly  ended an  alliance with Warwickshire Police  which everyone had  said was working well ,  including the Home secretary  and the  Chair of the Warwickshire police federation– and as a result of  pulling his drawbridge  up , John  had  to pay £10.77m  in compensation to Warwickshire police. Local media called it,” a divorce settlement.” Neighbouring West Midlands PCC said that,” in a bitter dispute like this only the criminals are the winners.”

“On his watch police tax went up by 24.48% – more than the rate of inflation. The number of Police Officers has come down, but even with his cuts he still managed to eat into a whopping £51m of the police reserves of which we now only have £14m left.

 So it wasn’t surprising when we learned that knife crime, violent crime and sexual offences were all up. But his crowning failure was his own commissioned survey which showed a clear drop-in confidence amongst local communities for our police forces.”

Shaun Davies, Leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, said: “I want to appeal to the public to drop party politics and elect Kuldip the next PCC on May 6. His experience as former Council Leader means, he has what it takes to reduce crime, take a grip of our finances and deliver on promises.”

Kuldip added: “To make matters worse, John is not satisfied with his botched job as PCC, he  wants to take  over  the running  of our  two  fire authorities  as well , which could mean job cuts ,  thus  putting public  lives at risk .A move opposed by just about everyone including both chairs of these Fire Authorities who are conservative and Conservative councillors on these public bodies.

 Is this really the man we want leading our police forces in 2021 and beyond?

“May 6 is your chance to put someone qualified into the role of PCC. I will mend fences with all the neighbouring police force and develop closer working relationship with them all, including Warwickshire, to help tackle crime across our boundaries and  keep my hands off both Fire Authorities and  protect victims of crime.

 I will fight to make our streets safer whilst balancing the books.  Let’s work together and make May 6 the day we start to change the way we police our communities for a better and safer future.”