Polling day is chance to have your say

By Kieran Kilgallen, Acting Police and Crime Commissioner

By this time next week, the election will have taken place and Wiltshire and Swindon will once again have an elected Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) ready to take office on 26 August.

When the new PCC steps into office my role as Acting PCC will cease to be required and I will resume my usual role as Chief Executive of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).

Following an ineligible candidate being named as the public’s choice for PCC in May’s election, Wiltshire’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has continued with business as usual.

While we may not have had an elected official at the helm, our executive team and dedicated staff have kept everything running as usual to ensure consistency for policing, the public and our partners.

The role of the PCC and OPCC has evolved since they were first introduced 10 years ago, and they have several responsibilities that span the criminal justice system.

The PCC and the office are most closely linked to the police, setting the policing priorities for the area, managing the police budget, holding the chief constable to account and ensuring good performance of the Force.

A lesser known, but equally as important element of the role, is the commissioning of specialist services that feed into the criminal justice system. This includes victim support, crime prevention and early intervention services to divert young people away from committing further offences.

We’re also responsible for bringing together partners across the criminal justice system, such as the police, Crown Prosecution Service, local authorities, prisons, courts and probation to ensure justice is swift, efficient and effective.

With that in mind, I would remind those who are eligible to vote on 19 August to head to the polling stations or return your postal vote by that day, and mark your X. Your vote gives you a say on who will oversee policing and crime matters in Wiltshire over the next few years.