PCC Elections: The candidates standing in Hampshire

Voters will head to the polls on 6 May to elect Hampshire Constabulary's police and crime commissioner (PCC.)

PCCs, first introduced in 2012, are elected representatives who work to ensure the 41 police forces in England and Wales are running effectively.

Their responsibilities include setting out force budgets, holding chief constables to account, and providing a link between communities and police.

These are the candidates who intend to stand for PCC in Hampshire this year.

Donna Jones, Conservative

A magistrate in Hampshire for 15 years, Ms Jones claims to be the youngest member of the judiciary in England and Wales when she was appointed in 2005. She is the only woman to have served as leader of Portsmouth City Council.

Ms Jones says she is committed to increasing police officer numbers and improving police visibility. She believes this can be achieved by "investing in hand-held technology that reduces time spent in police stations filing reports".

Richard Murphy, Liberal Democrat

Mr Murphy is seeking election after a 30-year career in Business. He has lived and worked in central Hampshire for the past two decades.

Mr Murphy says he has been listening to people's views across the county which include working for "better crime prevention" and "fairer funding" for the force. He says a particular priority for him is young people and he wants to work with local charities to "support young people at risk and keep them away from crime".

Tony Bunday, Labour

Over his career which spans 40 years, Mr Bunday has worked with youth justice teams, young offenders, homeless people and in mental health. More recently he has worked as an inspector with the Care Quality Commission and has been running his own business.

He says his experiences from working "very closely with the police across many levels" has enabled him to understand "the drivers and precursors of crime". Mr Bunday says he will be a "strong voice against the defunding of our police" and says his knowledge and experience can make "our communities safer and more resilient".

Steve James-Bailey, Hampshire Independents

Mr James-Bailey joined Hampshire Constabulary in 1989 after serving in the RAF. He worked as a community beat officer, a custody sergeant, and also worked as an investigator in cases dealt with by the Crown Prosecution Service.

He says he wants to re-introduce community constables, confront rural crime, treat victims of crime compassionately, have a "tough approach" to anti-social behaviour, and make the police more accessible to communities.

This election was originally meant to take place in May 2020 but it was postponed due to the pandemic.

To read more about the role of police and crime commissioners, click here.