:01:39. > :01:42.Here in the east, we're in Stevenage, on the beat with the
:01:42. > :01:52.community, and giving them the chance to put their concerns over
:01:52. > :01:52.
:01:52. > :40:00.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2288 seconds
:40:00. > :40:08.crime to their candidates for Good morning. Whereat Vincent
:40:08. > :40:12.Motorcycle Club at the Hyde in Stevenage -- we are at. It looks
:40:12. > :40:16.quiet now, but this week a dispersal order has been put in
:40:16. > :40:21.place covering the same area, to prevent groups committing anti-
:40:21. > :40:24.social behaviour. We have invited an audience who have the
:40:24. > :40:29.opportunity to put some questions to the three police and crime
:40:29. > :40:39.commissioner candidates for heart for Archer. Elections take place on
:40:39. > :40:47.
:40:47. > :40:51.November 15th. -- for Hertfordshire. We have Sherma Batson, David Lloyd
:40:51. > :40:56.and Christopher Townshend. Theresa May has talked about how the police
:40:56. > :41:04.and crime commissioner should be a local voice for local people. How
:41:04. > :41:08.were you planning to connect with local people? This is a huge
:41:08. > :41:11.opportunity to engage with communities. The police and crime
:41:11. > :41:17.commissionaire is the voice of the community so it is important for
:41:17. > :41:22.them to get out there, listen to the views command and listen to
:41:22. > :41:28.people's experiences. We are engaging already through the
:41:28. > :41:33.electoral process. Yesterday I was out in my constituency talking to
:41:34. > :41:40.people out there. On a more formal basis it will be bringing together
:41:40. > :41:45.partners, speaking to those who have already been elected to
:41:45. > :41:52.councils, people in health. But making sure we have regular
:41:52. > :41:57.meetings, to meet local people. am a local borough councillor, I
:41:57. > :42:06.knock-on people's doors, speak to local media. Communicating to
:42:06. > :42:12.people would be my key. Back to that dispersal order over
:42:12. > :42:22.this area, the Hyde and Stevenage. We explain what that means and some
:42:22. > :42:23.
:42:23. > :42:28.of the problems which have caused When it was built in the 1950s, the
:42:28. > :42:32.Hyde was part of a bright new future for Stevenage. These days
:42:32. > :42:38.the shops and flats have seen better days and the Hyde has been
:42:38. > :42:43.plagued by anti-social behaviour. This man lives are one of the flats
:42:43. > :42:51.with his partner. Just everything from them kicking the ball up the
:42:51. > :42:55.wall, I had my bike stolen a few weeks ago. Kids' comedy -- children
:42:55. > :43:00.and constantly screaming and throwing abuse. Sometimes the
:43:00. > :43:03.police can take up to 24 hours to deal with the situation.
:43:03. > :43:08.Hertfordshire police are quick to point out that crime across
:43:08. > :43:18.Stevenage is falling, but this week they placed a dispersal order on
:43:18. > :43:19.
:43:19. > :43:22.McColm two. -- on the Hyde. If anyone with a ban returns to be
:43:22. > :43:28.area they have the power to arrest the individual for a complete --
:43:28. > :43:34.for failing to comply with the ban. Their head teacher at the nearby
:43:34. > :43:38.school says he is not aware of his pupils being involved in anti-
:43:38. > :43:43.social behaviour. We obviously taken interest in what happens
:43:43. > :43:47.after school, but it is difficult to apply your set of rules and
:43:47. > :43:52.standards. We have a very clear expectation of behaviour in the
:43:52. > :43:55.school, the students are well behaved, but we often wonder how
:43:56. > :44:03.their behaviour is after school when they have not quite so many
:44:03. > :44:07.rules. If they are hanging around to set the boundaries for them?
:44:07. > :44:13.What such as things are you seen here? We see a lot of drunkenness
:44:13. > :44:17.out in the streets. Best man as part of the solution to anti-social
:44:17. > :44:20.behaviour. He is one of 20 volunteer street pastors in
:44:20. > :44:25.Stevenage to patrol the streets on a Saturday night. It could be
:44:25. > :44:30.someone who has had too much to drink, a vulnerable lady who needs
:44:30. > :44:39.to be what to a taxi rank or even walk home. Or it could be chatting
:44:40. > :44:46.to people who just want to top. For people like Mike -- Mike
:44:46. > :44:51.Cassidy at the Hyde, they do not necessarily care how the police are
:44:51. > :44:55.run, they just want to know that if they ask for it help then they will
:44:55. > :45:03.get it. Oli Khan, you run a local business
:45:03. > :45:08.here, tell us about your experience of what life can be like? I have
:45:08. > :45:14.had three incidents in the last five years. One of the worst ones
:45:14. > :45:18.was six or seven months ago. There were three gentleman over the age
:45:18. > :45:24.of 20. They wear a little bit drunk and a high street and there was a
:45:24. > :45:33.boy of 12 years old. He went to the shop and got some crisps and drinks.
:45:33. > :45:38.The gentleman went after him to grab his back of snacks and drinks.
:45:39. > :45:43.-- his back. The gentlemen were slightly drunk. It is an
:45:43. > :45:47.interesting story, but I am going to have to hurry you slightly, I am
:45:47. > :45:57.afraid. I call the police and things get worse. They are shouting
:45:57. > :46:06.and they have some weapons. What is your question? My question to the
:46:06. > :46:14.candidates is, how would you ensure that the Government -- that
:46:14. > :46:24.policing will be for the many, not just for the few? It needs to be
:46:24. > :46:29.for the many. 70 per cent of offences are being turned out to.
:46:29. > :46:33.This is about reducing crime, and that has to happen further up the
:46:33. > :46:38.line. As soon as you have to call the police something has gone wrong.
:46:38. > :46:48.That is about working with partner organisations and making sure that
:46:48. > :46:50.
:46:50. > :46:54.the local council works with the police. You spoke about an
:46:54. > :46:59.individual case, and I do not think we can answer every individual case.
:46:59. > :47:05.It is unfortunate what you had to experience. Over all, crime rates
:47:05. > :47:08.are low and that is good. We must continue to head in that direction.
:47:08. > :47:15.As police and crime commissioner we have to take over site and make
:47:15. > :47:18.sure you were getting the right sort of response that you need.
:47:18. > :47:23.would agree with the others that there needs to be as quicker
:47:23. > :47:27.response as possible for those sorts of crimes. But it is not just
:47:27. > :47:31.the police, it is the community safety partnership that will work
:47:31. > :47:35.together, engaging with the community, indicating what the
:47:35. > :47:40.commission as well, to get more of a sense of what is happening, what
:47:40. > :47:43.the responses are like, and whether people are satisfied. We need
:47:43. > :47:48.feedback to make sure that the constabulary will improve on what
:47:48. > :47:51.they did before are based on experiences. We do not like these
:47:51. > :47:55.things to happen, but I would certainly be bringing partners
:47:55. > :48:02.together, including the local council, businesses, residents'
:48:02. > :48:08.groups, so they can contribute. Experience you may contrast with
:48:08. > :48:13.somewhere only a few miles down the road. N Baldock, the police station
:48:13. > :48:18.was closed last May. It is now disused. Police visit twice a week
:48:18. > :48:23.but there is no actual building as a centre for policing in Baldock
:48:23. > :48:28.any more. There is concern locally about
:48:28. > :48:37.places like Baldock. Councillor Michael Moore joins us now. Let us
:48:37. > :48:43.hear those concerns. Baldock constables now have to report at
:48:43. > :48:50.another police station. So far, and her 1/2 is lost each day at the
:48:50. > :49:00.beginning and the end of each shift. -- an hour and a half is lost. They
:49:00. > :49:04.
:49:04. > :49:09.would prefer to be based N Baldock. Paying rent to be part of their
:49:09. > :49:14.community centre is not seen as viable to the police hierarchy.
:49:15. > :49:24.What would you do to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion
:49:25. > :49:26.
:49:26. > :49:31.for the people of Baldock? I have some experience of this. There have
:49:31. > :49:36.been pressures on budgets, there is no denying it. A lot of real estate
:49:36. > :49:42.has gone. We are facing a possible change in model where we are moving
:49:42. > :49:47.away from having the community police station being a centre,
:49:47. > :49:52.towards a neighbourhood policing team. I think that is where things
:49:52. > :49:57.are going. I am sad that this notion of a police station, which
:49:57. > :50:01.everyone knows is a centre, is going. But I am supportive, and I
:50:01. > :50:07.think that the teams seemed to be working quite effectively. I will
:50:07. > :50:12.have to get the others in. I am very sorry that that is happening
:50:12. > :50:16.in those kinds of the areas. Unfortunately, cuts in policing
:50:16. > :50:21.generally means that there is not as much support as there used to be.
:50:21. > :50:25.It is crucial right now for partnerships to get together, with
:50:25. > :50:30.your parish council, with your councillors, to see what kind of
:50:30. > :50:34.solution see can actually come up with together. According to the
:50:34. > :50:38.needs of that the area. That is very important. We will have the
:50:38. > :50:43.opportunity to engage with you commissioner to talk about the
:50:43. > :50:49.opportunities you have got, to work together, to find a solution for
:50:49. > :50:56.you. Thanks to a Labour government we do have neighbourhood teams now
:50:56. > :51:02.that would not have been there before. 21st century policing is
:51:02. > :51:08.about policing for the people by the poll -- by the people. It
:51:08. > :51:16.should be in the community. We cannot afford to put a lot of money
:51:16. > :51:19.in the community. -- into buildings. What people want is a presence. We
:51:19. > :51:25.can have them in a local council office or a community centre, that
:51:25. > :51:31.is exactly the place to be. Policing has moved on. We need
:51:31. > :51:36.someone in the community and that is what I am all about. Let us move
:51:36. > :51:40.on to business and the demands that they have of the police. I
:51:41. > :51:45.understand you are from the Chamber of Commerce. What is your question?
:51:45. > :51:49.I think someone once -- everyone wants a new structure which is
:51:49. > :51:58.efficient and fair. People are concerned about the cost of that
:51:58. > :52:05.structure. Will it cost less than the current structure? Sherma
:52:05. > :52:08.Batson? The government wants there to be cuts in the service. We had
:52:08. > :52:13.far more pleasing on the streets than we do now, so there is an
:52:13. > :52:17.issue about the costing of it. I am a bit concerned about how those
:52:17. > :52:22.savings will be found, because you will end up affecting the service
:52:22. > :52:26.that you get if you cut too much. I would be keen to be talking to all
:52:26. > :52:31.agencies and businesses to find out what they think their impact would
:52:31. > :52:36.be on those cuts and how much it will cost. I think you question was
:52:36. > :52:43.about the cost of their police and Crown commissioner?
:52:44. > :52:53.administration cost has been about one million pounds. David Lloyd?
:52:54. > :52:54.
:52:54. > :52:58.you put it into a business Seth -- sense, rather than running a huge
:52:58. > :53:02.separate organisation, if I become their police and crime Commission I
:53:02. > :53:07.will see that as the chairman's office and it should bring together
:53:07. > :53:11.a lot of the back offices that are currently separate between police
:53:11. > :53:17.constabulary and police authority. I will remain together because it
:53:17. > :53:21.is one team looking at reducing crime in the county. Be question is
:53:21. > :53:25.about police a authority. There are going to be savings because at the
:53:25. > :53:32.moment there are 12 members and you're going to have won police
:53:32. > :53:38.crime commissioner. But unfortunately there will be the
:53:38. > :53:42.cost of elections. Roughly, it will stay the same in terms of cost.
:53:42. > :53:52.we head in the sun, support for victims as part of the police and
:53:52. > :53:58.
:53:58. > :54:04.crime commissioner role. -- as we heard, support for victims. What is
:54:04. > :54:08.your question? Our question is given for every pound invested in
:54:08. > :54:11.the women's sector you see a 14 pounds return on that investment,
:54:11. > :54:16.we would like to see how the candidates are going to safeguard
:54:16. > :54:21.and support is very vital service, given that it receives no local or
:54:21. > :54:26.central funding at the moment. think domestic violence is one of
:54:26. > :54:32.the evils that we have in society. It is something that we need to
:54:32. > :54:37.stop. It is a great example of where you work with various pas ne
:54:37. > :54:43.organisations. Working alongside health to ensure that abuse does
:54:43. > :54:48.not happen through alcohol abuse. - - partner organisations. In terms
:54:48. > :54:52.of direct funding, I do not know who you are funded by. I imagine
:54:52. > :54:57.the borough council might be some money in, but if you do it all
:54:57. > :55:02.alone... Certainly, I look be very interested in seeing how I could
:55:02. > :55:08.help the funding. But of course, I cannot say yes to everyone, so we
:55:08. > :55:13.need to look at the overall funding levels across the county. Same
:55:13. > :55:19.question to you, Christopher Townshend. I cannot say yes to
:55:19. > :55:25.everyone as well. But you spend �1, you make 14. That is a very good
:55:25. > :55:30.angle. I will seek to protect the funding for this. I think on a more
:55:30. > :55:36.emotional level, if you like, I will try to make sure I understand
:55:36. > :55:40.what you're trying to do in your organisation. One of my priorities
:55:41. > :55:46.would be supporting victims more than they are supported at the
:55:46. > :55:54.moment. Victims of domestic violence certainly, because one of
:55:54. > :56:03.five Kohl's 2999 i from domestic violence victims -- one in South
:56:03. > :56:07.phone-calls to the emergency number our domestic violence victims.
:56:07. > :56:11.There is not a lot of money, we need to pool the resources, to make
:56:11. > :56:18.sure we cannot support a victims so that they will come forward and get
:56:18. > :56:24.the support that the need. We can just squeeze one more question and.
:56:25. > :56:30.How will you stop politics creeping into their job? A good question.
:56:30. > :56:35.Christopher Townshend? I do not feel I am a politician, I have a
:56:35. > :56:40.regular job, I am hard working, I am a family man. In my spare time I
:56:40. > :56:49.am a counsellor. You're going to have to be priests. I will try in
:56:49. > :56:54.the pragmatic and compassionate. you will have to be quick. We will
:56:54. > :56:58.all have to sign an oath to say that we will not put politics of
:56:58. > :57:04.four people and we certainly will not. We do not do it in our roles
:57:04. > :57:09.as councillors currently. I have been a community person most of my
:57:09. > :57:15.working life, a community person and a politician to try and help
:57:15. > :57:18.get things done. As far as I'm concerned, the chief constable as
:57:18. > :57:23.an operational job today and I would not interfere with that and
:57:23. > :57:27.bring politics into it, because people are far more important.
:57:27. > :57:29.just want a show of hands, you have heard arguments today so I would
:57:29. > :57:33.love to see how many people here think that a police and crime
:57:34. > :57:39.commissioner will make a difference. Hands up if you think it will make
:57:39. > :57:44.a difference? Let us have an unscientific show of hands. I think
:57:44. > :57:49.that great just... You could just have swung into. Still some work to
:57:49. > :57:59.do! 90 very much for Downing us today, it has been great to have
:57:59. > :58:04.
:58:04. > :58:11.you here. -- thank you very much for joining us today.
:58:11. > :58:15.Now back -- a change in the law was called for this week to give
:58:15. > :58:20.drivers and breaks down into just how much fuel duty they are paying.
:58:20. > :58:30.We were sure how much the oil companies are ripping us off. -- we
:58:30. > :58:35.will show. On the anniversary of the Battle of
:58:35. > :58:40.Dale Farm, we ask the community Secretary whether his local council
:58:40. > :58:46.Brentwood had provided any new traveller pitches. They are about
:58:46. > :58:51.to go through a process of local planning to identify sites. That is
:58:51. > :59:01.in no, then. Meanwhile the new Health Secretary
:59:01. > :59:02.
:59:02. > :59:08.Jeremy Hunt have paid a visit to India dementia unit. -- and you
:59:08. > :59:17.dementia unit. I'm David Cameron visited Kettering
:59:18. > :59:22.Hospital. -- and David Cameron. That is all from us in Stevenage.
:59:22. > :59:27.Our thanks to all the police and crime commissioner candidates. And
:59:27. > :59:37.thank you to the audience for joining us today. There are more