Pippa Bartolotti, Leader of the Welsh Greens was alarmed to hear from a Senior Policy Manager at Gwent Police, that the election of Police Commissioners could result in a justice lottery.
At a meeting on 27th September in Newport, Pippa Bartolotti asked a Senior Policy Manager what steps were being taken to stop justice in the UK being a postcode lottery.
The Wales Green Party leader said: “This is poor use of democracy. I am shocked that my worst fears could be realised: Policing and Crime is likely to be a justice lottery. For example one Police Commissioner near you may favour restorative justice, but in the region next door they may be more in favour of lengthy prison sentences.”
The Police Commissioner website states that the job is ‘to play a leading role in how crime is tackled in your area’.
Pippa Bartolotti added: “Policing is a complex business. I have yet to see a meaningful manifesto from any of the candidates, and with the election date looming I don’t see how people will have the time to make a serious choice. Commissioners will have to rank the importance of domestic violence against, for example, rural crime. We urgently need to see what these candidates stand for, and how they would work with other agencies to prevent crime and promote the rehabilitation of offenders.
“It costs £5000 to stand as a police commissioner – not the sort of money an ordinary and independent person would be prepared to lose, and if funding has to be raised, this could compromise the morality of an individual.”
Simon Weston, the well known Falklands veteran, withdrew from elections for the South Wales police commissioner because he said the campaign was “too political".
The Electoral Reform Society estimates turn-out in the elections, due to be held on 15 November, may well be the lowest in modern political history. Last month the ERS projected that only 18.5% of voters would participate.
The Green Party in Wales are not standing a candidate because they believe the formation of elected Police and Crime Commissioners will contort the face of justice in the UK. The Green Party is particularly concerned about protecting community policing teams and the need for the police to engage with local residents and councillors about community safety issues.