An election to choose the next Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Cambridgeshire will take place on Thursday 2 May.
The role of a PCC is to be the voice of the people in policing, and to hold the Chief Constable to account for how he/she discharges their functions. The aim of all PCCs is to ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient police service within their force area.
The election takes place on the same day as elections to Cambridge City Council.
People who vote in person will have to remember to bring a form of photo ID with them.
The candidates below are listed in alphabetical order by surname.
Edna Murphy – Liberal Democrats
Edna Murphy served as a Magistrate in Cambridge for over 25 years, including many years chairing the Youth Court, and she currently chairs the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority.
Currently a County Councillor for Bar Hill Division, she is also a member of the Board of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority.
Edna highlights her key priorities:
“The police need to do more on persistent problems such as sexual assault and on new priorities such as fraud. On both of those, victims currently report to the police just one in six or one in seven of the crimes they experience, which shows just how low victims’ confidence is in the service. That needs massively to improve.
“I’ll fight not just for fair funding for Cambridgeshire policing but also for smarter spending, moving away from policies that don’t work to reduce crime, such as short prison sentences for non-violent offenders, and towards solutions that truly make us safer by making it less likely that any of us will be victims of crime in the future.
“I’ll champion effective crime reduction strategies such as restorative justice, tackling prolific offenders, and evidence-driven community policing.
“Above all, I’ll ensure that the police are proactive and treat victims with respect, not just as statistics.”
Darryl Preston – Conservative
Darryl Preston has held the role of police and crime commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough since 2021.
From 1985 to 2015 he was a serving police officer, first in the Metropolitan Police, then for 20 years in Cambridgeshire. initially in uniform before becoming a senior detective.
He is also the National Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ Lead for forensics and biometrics.
Darryl highlights the work he has done so far.
- Nearly 400 more police officers – a record.
- Neighbourhood crime down 24%.
- Household burglaries down 37%.
- Anti-social behaviour down 30%.
- Knife crime down 25% – with 54% fewer hospital admissions.
- Rural crime down 21%.
- Road injuries and deaths are down.
And focussing on preventing crime…
- Making our streets safer.
- Keeping our children and young people out of trouble.
- Support for victims of crime is a top priority.
- Continue to invest in local policing.
- Continue to be tough on combatting drugs, gangs and violence.
- And reduce casualties on our roads.
Anna Smith – Labour
Anna Smith is currently deputy mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
She was elected as a city councillor for Coleridge in 2021, having previously been a councillor for Romsey since 2015. Ms Smith is also a former Leader of the Authority.
Anna highlights her key priorities:
A responsive police service, there when you need it. We need better neighbourhood policing so we all feel safe. Our police are under-funded: I will fight for a fair deal.
Prevent crime. As a former teacher, I know we need to stop young people being drawn to crime. We must do more to promote safety on our streets and in our homes.
Break the cycle of crime by joining up services. My leadership of Cambridge City Council saw partnerships that supported survivors of abuse. Now I am bringing in road safety and bus safety measures across our whole region.
Zero-tolerance for violence. Tackle attitudes that lead to abuse of women. Work to stop young people turning to knife crime. Target repeat offenders.
The voice of the community in policing. I will listen to you, help our hard-working police deliver your priorities, and improve standards. We all deserve the best!
