Shona Johnstone is seeking the Conservative nomination to be the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. If you are intending to stand to be Police and Crime Commissioner where you live, you can submit your own Candidate Statement, so get in touch at Editor@TopOfTheCops.com. Others are on the way, and we are looking for 400 words, a photo of you that you have rights to, and preferably an imprint, which will be needed for the formal election period later this year.

I am seeking the Conservative nomination for Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. I have lived and worked in Cambridgeshire for most of my life and over the last twelve months, friends and colleagues have persuaded me that I am the right person for the job. If selected as the candidate I will run on a campaign to:

• Keep costs down: money is tight, but from my time on the Police Authority, I know we can do more with less. I will get a grip on the policing budget, freeze the precept next year and limit any future increase to the annual percentage increase in the state pension;
• Respond to local needs: I will not be behind a desk, but out and about across the whole county and Peterborough, holding surgeries, attending neighbourhood meetings, listening first-hand to what matters to the community;
• Make preventing crime a priority: less crime means fewer victims of crime, lower policing costs and less damage to people, property and communities;
• Put victims first: centrally driven targets and agendas have eroded the trust between police and public. I want people to be proud and confident in the Cambridgeshire police service and ensure that it is responsive to their needs first.

I have twenty years of experience in running large organisations, leading Cambridgeshire County Council and running its children’s services. I will commit all my energies to this role – this will be my only job. I have been a councillor for many years, visible in the community and experienced in being a voice for my community, responding to local concerns. The Police and Crime Plan I will produce will be the communities plan – reflecting their priorities and recognising that what is important in Peterborough will be different in St Neots, Soham or Sawston. For that reason, I will seek to appoint a Deputy from the Peterborough area.

My experience is more than just managing big budgets, getting things done and working with others. I am also a parent with children in local schools and colleges, who believes in “tough love”. I was brought up in a single parent household on low income and I am passionate about enabling others to have the same chances I did. I empathise with the fear of crime and the impact that it has on peoples’ lives so preventing crime will be a priority. I know that early intervention and intensive support can make a real difference to vulnerable young people and is vital to stop them from spiralling out of control and into a life of crime.

Follow me on Twitter: @ShonaFJ

or view my blog: CllrShonaJohnstone.blogspot.com

Email:- shonafj@googlemail.com

tel:07752 880344