Rural policing priority for Tories in election

Four PCC posts will be up for election on Thursday

Ensuring police are stationed in rural areas is one of the Conservative Party's priorities for the police and crime commissioner (PCC) elections, a senior Welsh Tory has said.

Voters in Wales will decide who the country's four PCCs will be in elections on Thursday.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said Conservative commissioners would work to ensure crime continues to fall.

The party is standing in all of Wales' four policing areas but is not defending any seats.

The Police and Crime Commissioner elections take place this Thursday.

Although they do not run policing day-to-day, commissioners set priorities in Wales’ four police forces and their budgets.

There are four PCCs in Wales – one for each police force area – Dyfed Powys, Gwent, North Wales and South Wales.

David TC Davies said: “Although crime has fallen across the United Kingdom, it’s still too high, and we've come up with a fantastic team of candidates who are going to be there to support the police, but also support the victims of crime and make sure that crime falls further.”

"The role of the PCC is to hold chief constables to account, and to ensure that the policing priorities reflect the needs of the area. So we'll be looking at, for example, making sure that the police are stationed in rural areas, because we've got crime hot spots in rural areas."

He added: "Having somebody there who understands that, who understands the needs of the local community, is important for ensuring that a good service is offered.”

Asked about the cuts to police forces during the Cameron government, Mr Davies said there are more police officers now than there were in 2010.

"We've increased the number of police officers, and we’ve looked carefully at issues like ‘stop and search’, and we've come forward with policies now that give police officers the powers that they need.

"As a result of that we've seen a fall in violent crime. So I think people can trust the Conservatives and will know that the Conservative Party is the party of law and order.”

Who are the candidates?

Dyfed Powys

Justin Mark Griffiths - Welsh Liberal Democrats

Ian Christopher Harrison - Welsh Conservatives

Dafydd Llywelyn - Plaid Cymru

Philippa Ann Thompson - Welsh Labour

North Wales

Andy Dunbobbin - Welsh Labour

Ann Griffith - Plaid Cymru

Brian Jones - Welsh Conservatives

Richard David Marbrow - Welsh Liberal Democrats

Gwent

Donna Cushing - Plaid Cymru

Mike Hamilton - Welsh Liberal Democrats

Hannah Elizabeth Jarvis - Welsh Conservatives

Jane Helen Mudd - Welsh Labour

South Wales

Sam Bennett - Welsh Liberal Democrats

George Carroll - Welsh Conservatives

Dennis Clarke - Plaid Cymru

Emma Wools - Welsh Labour

Voters will need to show photo-ID to cast their ballot.