The five people bidding to become Sussex’s first Police and Crime Commissioner on Thursday, November 15 share their thoughts on legalising drugs, sharing information about paedophiles, whether Asbos have worked and bringing back the death penalty. Kimberly Middleton reports.
Tony Armstrong, 65, UKIP
What problems need fixing at Sussex Police and how would you fix them?
IT systems need to be rationalised and upgraded and there is a root and branch review of the police estate being conducted.
The other big problem is morale. Although I believe the police pay should reflect the dangers they face, 24/7 availability, plus the ever-present willingness to go further than strictly necessary, I also have to balance that pay is a substantial item in the police budget and has to come from somewhere.
Would you support the decriminalisation of some drugs, as top officers and local politicians have espoused in recent years?
Personally I believe that if a drug is illegal, you should not use it, and especially not traffic it. Being soft on ‘minor’ drugs offences might help the police in the short term by taking some people out of criminality, but it ignores the effects on society in the future.
Should we have a right to know if a convicted paedophile lives In our street?
The easy answer is yes, but society has shown, understandably, that it is not ready to allow paedophiles to live among them, especially with children living nearby.
I think the best way is for such people to live apart until they are no longer a danger to anyone, or to be closely monitored.
Have Asbos worked?
Asbos have demonstrably not worked and are treated in some quarters as a badge of honour. Once someone has been told their behaviour is unacceptable to those who live around them, they should be subject to the full range of penalties available to the courts.
Do you believe in the death penalty?
I do not have any difficulty in supporting the death penalty for the worst type of murder, but I do have a practical difficulty, which is how to absolutely guarantee the right person is convicted and executed.
Have you ever been a victim of crime?
Apart from being assaulted a few times while working, not that I can remember. Probably comes from being a police officer and taking reasonable steps not to be a victim.
How many times should a person be offered rehabilitation before they lose the chance of an alternative to prison?
If they have failed once, I would need to be convinced that there were special circumstances before I offered rehabilitation a second time. Continual ‘soft’ sentencing is one reason why offenders do not learn the error of their ways.
Katy Bourne, 47, Conservative
What problems need fixing at Sussex Police and how would you fix them?
I will be a strong voice for local people and a critical friend to the police. I will work hard to identify waste and reinvest any savings found into frontline policing. Efficient budgeting, less bureaucracy and effective procurement will protect numbers and release police back onto the streets where residents want them.
Would you support the decriminalisation of some drugs, as top officers and local politicians have espoused in recent years?
I remain convinced that use of controlled drugs should be illegal. Those advocating liberalisation are, in my view, advocating a very risky experiment with the health of a whole generation of young people.
I will ensure the police prioritise targeting high level drugs dealers and look to sequestrate their assets and profits and divert these into funding treatment and drug education programmes.
Should we have a right to know if a convicted paedophile lives in our street?
The civil liberties of convicted sex offenders should never be put before the protection of our children. I believe that the police should rigorously monitor a convicted sex offender’s whereabouts at all times.
Have Asbos worked?
Asbos don't work because they're too complicated and often impossible to enforce. There were 10,000 incidents of antisocial behaviour every day under Labour and the cost to local authorities was more than £3billion per year. By 2010, the breach rate for Asbos was 56%. This is clearly unacceptable and I am determined to improve the lives of local people.
Do you believe in the death penalty?
The Government is opposed to the use of the death penalty. It is right that the murder of a police officer in the course of duty is specifically listed in the sentencing manual as one of the most serious crimes deserving a very high sentence.
Have you ever been a victim of crime?
I had my handbag stolen several years ago. It contained an item of jewellery that my father, then deceased, had given to my mother on her 21st birthday. She had subsequently given it to me on my 21st. The loss of such a sentimental item was very difficult – I can never replace that.
How many times should a person be offered rehabilitation before they lose the chance of an alternative to prison?
All sentences, whether they are custodial or non-custodial, should aim both to punish and to rehabilitate. Prison is the right place for serious offenders.
Ian Chisnell, 52, Independent
What problems need fixing at Sussex Police and how would you fix them?
The morale of officers and staff has been badly dented - I will meet officers and staff after the election, to reassure them of my support.
There are concerns regarding the way complaints are dealt with. I would like to offer a mechanism for people to raise low level frustrations to deal with public confidence and ensure matters are dealt with at the most appropriate level. Public confidence and respect in Sussex Police needs to be raised.
Would you support the decriminalisation of some drugs, as top officers and local politicians have espoused in recent years?
I support the approach being taken by senior officers, focusing on stopping the supply using local and regional intelligence and would encourage readers to help. Secondly we need to prosecute the dealers. The final element is to encourage drug users to break their habits.
Should we have a right to know if a convicted paedophile lives in our street?
I am certainly supportive of Sarah’s Law, however I find this question unhelpful in the context of the Jimmy Savile case. He was not convicted yet his actions carried on despite this. I think we need to renew our focus on protecting children and other vulnerable people.
Have Asbos worked?
I believe they have been very effective, allowing councils, the police and other agencies to work together to help to manage the behaviour of some residents who were acting in a manner that was threatening to other people.
Do you believe in the death penalty?
No.
Have you ever been a victim of crime?
Yes, but only low level incidents such as damage to vehicles.
How many times should a person be offered rehabilitation before they lose the chance of an alternative to prison?
Rehabilitation is not an alternative to prison, but it needs to be part of any sentence. We need to reduce the number of people who are regular visitors to our courts and the current Criminal Justice System needs to become more friendly to victims of crime and deal more effectively with those who are convicted, including rehabilitation.
Godfrey Daniel, 62, Labour
What problems need fixing at Sussex Police and how would you fix them?
People don’t expect every crime to be solved, but we don’t give victims enough feedback. I think Sussex Police do a good job but officers need to be equipped better – I want all neighbourhood police to have electronic tablets so they can do their work in the community and officers equipped with body-worn video cameras to get evidence of crime scenes.
I am also going to beef up the licensing team so irresponsible licensees are prosecuted for serving people who are drunk, as well as lose their license.
Would you support the decriminalisation of some drugs, as top officers and local politicians have espoused in recent years?
Personally I believe possession of cannabis for personal use should be a civil offence – it should be a penalty but not something that would criminalise young people. My target is the dealers who make money out of misery.
Should we have a right to know if a convicted paedophile lives in our street?
No. Otherwise we would just get vigilantism and that won’t help anybody.
Have Asbos worked?
Yes – they give us a way of dealing with repeated offending for minor crimes which in themselves are not imprisonable and then if people break Asbos they could be imprisoned.
Do you believe in the death penalty?
No, primarily because juries are very reluctant to convict when you have a death penalty. It’s a means of letting more guilty people off – nobody’s ever 100% sure and the consequence of getting convicted would be greater.
Have you ever been a victim of crime?
I have had my house burgled. More seriously my son was the victim of an armed robbery when a knife was held to his throat at a cash point machine and he was kept hostage in his car.
How many times should a person be offered rehabilitation before they lose the chance of an alternative to prison?
Never set up a system with rules because you will only have to break them. When sentencing is done we need to reflect the crime, the victim and the person and come to the best sentence.
David Rogers, 60, Lib Dem
What problems need fixing at Sussex Police and how would you fix them?
All public services are affected by the current time of austerity. Police officers and staff may well be feeling undervalued and are suffering low morale – not helped by recent notorious events alleged to have happened at the entrance to Downing Street!
The chief constable and I will have a shared responsibility to rebuild confidence as we enter the new arrangements and will need to work hard together to achieve this.
Would you support the decriminalisation of some drugs, as top officers and local politicians have espoused in recent years?
Legislation in this area should be based on real scientific evidence of potential harms. In my campaign I have drawn attention to the effect that alcohol has on levels of violent crime, including domestic violence - there are issues to be tackled with legal drugs too.
Should we have a right to know if a convicted paedophile lives in our street?
In general terms, no, as events in some areas have shown that this, or mistaken identity, can lead to the creation of yet more victims as a result of vigilante action. We should also remember that many sexual assaults on children are carried out within families.
Have Asbos worked?
In some cases they have, but they are not a panacea, and are regarded by some as a badge of honour. I am a supporter of acceptable behaviour contracts, putting the onus on potential repeat troublemakers to act responsibly, and also of restorative justice approaches to anti-social behaviour.
Do you believe in the death penalty?
I would campaign against any such proposals. Both in my childhood, when it was still available to the courts, and since this was abolished in our country, there have been too many miscarriages of justice for this to be an acceptable approach.
Have you ever been a victim of crime?
Yes, but many years ago.
How many times should a person be offered rehabilitation before they lose the chance of an alternative to prison?
In my view, for serious offences, a prison sentence is always the most appropriate sentence. Otherwise, the circumstances will determine whether alternatives to prison can be justified and that is why we have magistrates and judges.
See the latest news headlines from The Argus:
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel