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Issue:-
1 November 2012
Candidates
declared for Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Election
THE candidates for Lancashire's first Police
and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections have now been formally
declared.
The election will take place on 15 November 2012. The PCC will replace
the current Lancashire Police Authority (LPA). For more information
about the role, go to:-
lancspcc.co.uk.
Nominations closed on 19 October 2012. Lancashire has 4 candidates in
the running for the new position. The successful candidate, upon
election, will be
declared on 16 November 2012.
Alternatively, a dedicated phone line has been set up where voters
can request printed information for free:- 0800 107 0708
For more information about the work of LPA in the run-up to the
election go to:-
lancspcc.co.uk or follow us
on Twitter:- @LancsPCC.
Lancashire Police Authority Chief Executive Miranda Carruthers-Watt,
said:- "We are just a few weeks from the election but there is
still time to register to vote and ensure you have a say on who
becomes Lancashire's very first PCC.
There's lots of information available about this election and about
the candidates. Voters can visit the dedicated websites or can call
to receive information in the post.
As well as the LPA's campaign, there's lots of work going on behind
the scenes to ensure all staff are prepared for this change and
we're working closely with Lancashire Constabulary and our criminal
justice and community safety partners to ensure the transition is a
smooth one."
MORE TREATS THAN TRICKS ON
HALLOWEEN AS ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR FALLS ON OCTOBER
MERSEYSIDE Police have recorded far fewer
reports of anti-social behaviour and vandalism on Halloween tonight
compared to the previous night. By 9pm, the force had only
been called to around 130 incidents compared to more than 600 at the
same stage of Tuesday evening. The week between 30 October and
5 November, is traditionally one of the busiest of the year for
Merseyside's emergency services but last night incidents fell by 5%
compared to the previous year. And the number of reports of
anti-social behaviour and criminal damage this Halloween fell by 15%
compared to 31 October 2011, from 252 incidents to 213 incidents.
Commander for the policing operation, Superintendent Rowley Moore,
said parents and young people had heeded advice about how to enjoy
the night safely and responsibly. He said:- "Tonight has
been much quieter than last night, which in itself was down on
previous years, so that is positive news for our communities.
Parents have clearly listened to our advice to make sure they know
what their children are doing for Halloween and the young people
themselves have taken advantage of all the things put on for them.
We have seen far fewer instances of groups of young people out of
the street after dark getting involved in anti-social behaviour and
the high numbers of officers we have had on duty has meant people
have felt reassured and got a swift response when it was needed. A
great deal of planning and effort has gone into what is a
multi-agency operation running throughout Merseyside this week and
we will continue to work hard to prepare for the next busy period
around Bonfire Night." There were 21 arrests made
between 2pm and 11pm compared to 24 in in last year's 31 October
Operation.
Spending watchdog praises Liverpool
THE Government's spending watchdog has given a
clean bill of health to the way in which Liverpool City Council uses
its money. In his Annual Audit Letter for 2011/12,
District Auditor Michael Thomas has concluded that the local
authority has "made proper arrangements to secure economy,
efficiency and effectiveness" in the use of its resources.
The Council's approach to financial risk is described as
"robust",
and the Medium Term Financial Plan; which looks at current and
future spending, is "effective".
There is also praise for:- "Strong leadership" in considering budget options and
prioritising resources.
The strengthening of corporate management arrangements, including
procurement and risk management.
The Partnership Framework for Liverpool Direct Limited (the
Council's ICT joint venture with BT); which is described as
"working well" with a "good working relationship"
between the client and the contractor.
Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for Finance, Councillor Paul Brant,
said:- "It is pleasing to note that we have been given a clean
bill of health by the District Auditor.
Over the last 2 years we have had £141 million of cuts imposed on us
by central Government. It has been a particularly challenging time
as we get 80% of our funding from Whitehall, with only a relatively
small proportion of our income generated through Council tax.
It is reassuring to be told by the Audit Commission that we are
making spending decisions in a way which delivers value for money
and is aligned to our priorities. However no community or household
is likely to remain unaffected in the following years. There are
further tough decisions ahead, but we have pledged to make the cuts
as fairly as fairly as we possibly can and shield services for the
most vulnerable from the worst of the spending reductions." The letter also states that arrangements for monitoring key service
contracts are "generally satisfactory", but that there
is scope for greater consistency. It notes that the Mayoral Select
Committee plans to review Performance Management Arrangements for
key service partnerships over the coming months.
PCC elections - Merseyside
ON 15 November 2012, Merseyside will join the
other 40 Police areas, within England (excluding London) and Wales
to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). Once elected a PCCs
will be responsible for setting priorities for their police force,
overseeing its budget and hiring the chief constable.
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