Bedfordshire's police commissioner candidates

Police and crime commissioner elections will be held across England on 2 May (pictured is Luton police station)

The election to choose the next police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Bedfordshire will take place on 2 May.

The PCC's role is to hold the local police force to account.

Their duties include appointing the chief constable (in the event of a vacancy), setting the budget and deciding how much council tax precept to charge local people.

Bedfordshire has had both Labour and Conservative PCCs since the role was formed in 2012.

The candidates below are listed in alphabetical order by surname.

Waheed Akbar - The Workers Party of Britain

Waheed Akbar has lived in Bedfordshire for 38 years, has 24 years' experience as a Labour councillor for the Leagrave ward at Luton Council, and was Mayor of Luton from 2000 to 2001.

He apologised and made a voluntary donation to charity for breaking Covid lockdown rules in 2020.

He resigned from the Labour party in October 2023 because of leader Sir Keir Starmer's stance on Palestine.

He said his roles had included child protection and being a board member of the Safer Luton Partnership. In 2011, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bedfordshire to recognise his contributions to the community.

Mr Akbar said: "As your police and crime commissioner, I’d further leverage my skills and connections to enhance crime prevention and community safety initiatives by fostering partnerships and co-operations between the police force and other agencies.

"My experience as a parent highlights the vital role of safety in our community. My pledge as your PCC is to tackle the pressing issues of rising knife crime, drug-related offences, burglaries, domestic violence and gang culture in Bedfordshire.

"I’ll ensure that resources are allocated prudently to effectively address these challenges and enhance community safety."

Festus Akinbusoye – Conservative

Mr Akinbusoye is seeking re-election to the role after becoming Britain’s first black PCC in 2021.

He previously stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for West Ham in the 2015 general election, and at last year's Mid Bedfordshire by-election, losing narrowly to Labour.

Mr Akinbusoye pointed out that the force had been rated as outstanding by the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for the way it managed offenders and suspects and he claimed that £4.3m in drugs had been seized since his election in May 2021.

He added: “On neighbourhood crime, thanks to the investment I have made into community policing, we now have 20% more officers in our rural and community police unit than we had when I was elected - this has resulted in a reduction in neighbourhood crime."

He said the county had the 11th lowest crime rate of the 43 forces in England and Wales.

Jasbir Singh Parmar – Liberal Democrats

This will be Jasbir Singh Parmar's third attempt at the PPC role, having first stood as a Tory in 2012.

He spent five years as a police officer with the Metropolitan Police and is chair of the independent advisory group to Bedfordshire Police.

He also says he is a business owner and has lived in the county for 37 years.

Mr Parmar said: "I will use my real-life experience to foster a safer community.

"My approach involves openness, cutting waste at the centre to support front line police officers and active engagement with the public to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our police service.

“I will also campaign tirelessly to see the return of town centre police facilities across our county, for real community policing and will make it my task to secure fair funding for Bedfordshire police from the government.”

John Tizard – Labour

John Tizard spent 18 years as a Bedfordshire county councillor and said he had lived in the county for almost 50 years.

He says he has experience in business, charities and the public sector.

Mr Tizard continued: “Bedfordshire has been unfairly underfunded by the Conservative government.

"As PCC I would look forward to working with a Labour home secretary to ensure we have funding for community policing, and to tackle serious crimes such as trafficking and modern day slavery, violence against women and children, hate crime, fraud, drug crime and knife crime.

He also said he would be a "voice" for victims of crime and would hold regular “accountability and challenge” meetings where the public could question him.

"A commissioner who fails to listen will fail the people of our county," he added.