Worries only 10% will vote in election for police supremo
AN ACADEMIC today warned Notts voters need to get more involved in the Police and Crime Commissioner debate.
Dr Jason Pandya-Wood, head of sociology in the school of social sciences at Nottingham Trent University, said he was worried only one in ten people would vote in the election.
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He is planning a hustings at the university on Monday to try to stir more interest in the November 15 vote.
Whoever wins will replace Notts Police Authority and hold considerable power over how Notts Police are run.
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Dr Pandya-Wood said: "The role is a major change in terms of the potential relationship between the police and the public. I've seen estimates of what the turnout of the election will be, and they are very low. I've heard figures as low as a 10 per cent national turnout."
Monday's event at the Newton Building from 5.30pm to 7.30pm is open to anyone and candidates will take questions from the floor. Four candidates – one for Labour, a Conservative and two independents – are in the running to the become the commissioner, who will oversee Notts Police and set budgets. They can hire and fire chief constables and say how crime should be fought.
Dr Pandya-Wood said Monday was an opportunity for the public to test the four candidates before they decide who to vote for. Conservative candidate Tony Roberts said at best he hoped for a turnout above 20 per cent.
Dr Raj Chandran, standing as an independent, said people seemed to have a tendency to be "negative" about the election.
Malcolm Spencer, standing as an independent, said: "There's a lot of people who know about it but not a lot of people know enough to come out and vote." Paddy Tipping, standing for Labour, said he thought more people were becoming aware but added: "People know something about it even if some are not clear what it's about."
Monday's event, chaired by the Nottingham Post, is open to anyone but places must be booked at www.ntu.ac.uk, by calling 0115 848 8732, or e-mailing bls.marketing@ntu.ac.uk.
Comments
by Conversation
Tuesday, November 06 2012, 1:39PM
“Nearly ripped up my vote, then decided to do my duty, but wondered why I had to put a cross next to the person I wanted to vote for, then a secound cross next to my secound choice,?”
by solrok
Tuesday, November 06 2012, 1:38PM
“My main concern is the lack of publicity regarding the candidates involved. I personally have only received one flyer from candidate Dr Raj Chandram. Given the short time before the election date, one would have expected the other three candidates to have sent out their flyers by now. This would then enable people to have an informed choice. I do realise that you can find this information on line, by going to (choose my PCC), that said a lot of people are not on the Internet. If this causes a small turnout then the candidates only have themselves to blame.”
by smshogun
Tuesday, November 06 2012, 1:26AM
“An estimated turnout of 10% shows what the public think, duplicating existing tasks, claims they can't uphold, and the public think the cost of these elections can be better spent on Policing.”
by altheboss
Monday, November 05 2012, 5:17PM
“This IS a joke isn't it.?
Headline about the worry of nobody voting at the Police elections, and the photo showing
the Bilborough Tea Dance Brigade.!
Or is somebody at the NP having a laugh.?”
by Conversation
Monday, November 05 2012, 10:56AM
“Looks like the same old promises, pledges, and hype, that we are supposed to believe, just before an Election. I haven't much faith in any of the Candidates, but won't be voting Tory.”
by FormerlyW
Monday, November 05 2012, 10:29AM
“"I'd vote if one of the options was None Of The Above" --- kilowatt2
It is -- simply write "none of the above" on your ballot paper. That way, the vote will have to be recorded as a spoiled ballot, and you will have distinguished yourself from those who don't care enough to bother to vote.”
by CALTHROSS
Monday, November 05 2012, 9:32AM
“Can't imagine people going out of their way for the PCC elections,I certainly won't.
It lacks information on the candidates involved,a few words will not suffice.
The candidates whoever they are will perhaps be in it for themselves making promises they know that they will not or cannot keep.
Perhaps the word "legislation" will be used often as a reason why they can't do anything or do very little if anything.
All I want is for crime to be tackled & criminals punished for the crimes they have committed,if the authorities don't know what the people want regarding law & order by now they never will.
Perhaps this PCC is just a glorified managerial position.
Law & Order is in decay so not sure what this PCC will be able to do.”
by kilowatt2
Monday, November 05 2012, 8:49AM
“I'd vote if one of the options was None Of The Above”
by mjw8121
Monday, November 05 2012, 8:31AM
“Nobody I know has received any sort of publicity/campaign literature from any of the candidates and therefore nobody seems particularly keen to vote.”
by harrystotle1
Sunday, November 04 2012, 7:48PM
“Having a P&C Commissioner can only be a good thing for Notts for the simple reason that it gets rid of Jon Collins as Chair of The Police Authority. How someone with such a dire track record was appointed chairman is a mystery to me.
Jon Collins' only idea for reducing crime was greater involvement of the City Council's marketing & communication "professionals", and everyone knows what that means.....crime falls every year, tractor production goes up, we are now at war with Eastasia, we have always been at war with Eastasia.
The cost pales into insignificance when compared to that of the "jobs for the boys" Crime & Drugs Partnership and other JC "initiatives" which are all akin to the Future Jobs Fund where cash gets sprayed about with no regard to actually getting some value from it.
Roll on the 15th November.”