Andrew Smith is the UKIP candidate for Essex Police and Crime Commissioner.

I have lived in Essex all my adult life where my children were born and raised.

I am a Chartered Accountant helping new businesses to form and grow.  My commercial and professional skills will be invaluable in getting results from shrinking police budgets and building a constructive relationship with Essex Police.

Recent events show that the police need to be properly accountable.  Even good officers can allow standards to slip when not properly supervised.

My first objective would be to re-unite the police and public in mutual trust and respect so together we can prevent crimes and detect those that happen.

I would work for changes the public want including more police officers on our streets (including more Special Constables) and community-based police officers in new local police houses, built by developers.

I want Essex Police to be trusted by the public and to re-focus on the side of the householder and victims.  No one should be fearful of the police but those engaged in criminal or anti-social activity must learn they deserve no favours or sympathy.

I generally empathise with the police but have no past service loyalty which might create difficulties for me in challenging police and the government to up their game.  The Police and Crime Commissioner must campaign with many other agencies outside his control to achieve improvements for Essex.