Police commissioners – another stunt to control the people

From: Dr David Hill, Market Street, Huddersfield.

WHY is it that I feel that the so-called people’s police commissioner’s jobs for the 41 police forces is just another political stunt to control the people?

Year-by-year it appears to me that we are getting more like Russia with the stranglehold that our political parties have.

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It certainly makes you wonder when apparently everything is being fixed these days beforehand to a great extent so that only the chosen few in reality get the power for their political masters to use at will.

I, for one, will not be voting for something that appears to be a forgone conclusion with an incumbent politician likely to take the job. When will true democracy return to this country is the big question and the people actually have a say?

From: Barbara Lee, Lincs Wold, Liversedge, West Yorkshire.

AS a woman in my late seventies and ever mindful of what the Suffragettes achieved for us, I have never knowingly missed an election – either local or general.

I shall definitely be missing the crime commissioner poll. I agree with the Peter Ellis and John Copeland (Yorkshire Post, October 27) that the candidates in West Yorkshire have a political axe to grind.

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As for the leaflets sent out by the Government, all they really told us was how to fill in our ballot papers.

Sorry David Cameron, I shall be staying at home on November 15.

From: PA Richardson, Kings Mill Road, Driffield.

THERE have been a number of letters to the Yorkshire Post in recent weeks concerning the forthcoming elections for local police and crime commissioners.

Most of these express concern over both the lack of information on the responsibilities of these commissioners, and the lack of information on the candidates. Most people would agree. Also, many believe this election to be a waste of time and money.

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Your article (Yorkshire Post, October 17) did its best to give information on one particular candidate, John Prescott. I hope you will give similar publicity to the other candidates.

Many readers will recall the photograph of Lord Prescott’s physical reaction to a member of the public who threw an egg at him. How surprising that someone capable of this when a Minister of the Crown should feel himself suitable as a candidate for the position of a police and crime commissioner.

Sadly, it seems that politics come before conscience.

From: Mrs W Abbott, Boulsworth Avenue, Hull.

IT is clear by the number of letters many readers do not support the newly-created post of police and crime commissioner. Both the salary and the necessity of the post appears to be a controversial subject in these times of austerity.

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, confidently informs the voters that this appointment is an experiment designed to improve public relations with the police and tackle the ever-increasing rise in crime.

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This appointment is nothing more than a desperate attempt by the Government to curry favour with the electorate. It is possible that come the next General Election a new government may discard it. Alternatively, if a Conservative government remains in power, public pressure may force them to abandon the post on the grounds of cost.