Author Archives: samchapman

Which costs more? Prison or community punishment?

Posted on 23/08/2012 by samchapman

Richard Enderby is a TopOfTheCops reader from Lincolnshire. He gives his perspective here on an issue he would like candidates to address – the relative costs of community sentences and imprisonment. If you would like your perspective on this or … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 3 Comments

Are there too many Independents in your area?

Posted on 22/08/2012 by samchapman

There is a fair amount of evidence that in the Police and Crime Commissioner election Independents are seen by a decent number of people as a Good Thing. I’ve never been persuaded that it was enough to just be Independent … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 2 Comments

In for a penny…

Posted on 21/08/2012 by samchapman

You may remember that a few months ago TopOfTheCops featured a number of problems that Labour were having with their PCC selection process, particularly around the shortlisting of candidates, which was so bad it was funny. Well, you wouldn't expect … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, Perspectives, Selecting Candidates | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Turned out nice again

Posted on 19/08/2012 by samchapman

This weekend the Electoral Reform Society added to the worries around the Police and Crime Commissioner election when they published an estimated turnout of 18.5% for November's election. While Policing Minister Nick Herbert had famously spent an earlier part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Media coverage, Perspectives, Resources | 2 Comments

Lighting the blue touch paper

Posted on 18/08/2012 by samchapman

You are going to have to read this one to the end! The Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales has issued new guidance, which you can find on the APCCs website, following TopOfTheCops revelation of his previous decision to … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 6 Comments

Be afraid; be very afraid of who you elect as your Commissioner

Posted on 17/08/2012 by samchapman

Mervyn Barrett OBE, an Independent Candidate in Lincolnshire, gives his view on “tough on crime”. TopOfTheCops view on the same issue is here, but if you would like to pen an alternative view on this or another relevant topic, why … Continue reading →

Posted in Independents, Perspectives | 25 Comments

Candidate Statement of David Bowles

Posted on 15/08/2012 by samchapman

David Bowles is standing as an Independent candidate to be the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire. If you are intending to stand to be Police and Crime Commissioner where you live, you can submit your own Candidate Statement, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Candidate Statements, Independents | 3 Comments

After the Olympics

Posted on 14/08/2012 by samchapman

After yesterday's publication of the list of candidates who had declared they had no reason to be worried about a criminal record keeping them out of the race, there have been a few more entries. The first is a surprise … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 3 Comments

Which candidates are in the clear?

Posted on 14/08/2012 by samchapman

Recent withdrawals from the PCC elections flow from an increased appreciation of the strict nature of the rules on how previous convictions, including otherwise 'spent' convictions and those incurred as a juvenile, can disqualify a person from standing. Those withdrawals … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 2 Comments

You fought the law, and you won.

Posted on 12/08/2012 by samchapman

On Thursday, TopOfTheCops revealed exclusively to the world how one of Britain's most senior judges had decided to do what Parliament had not, and ban magistrates from standing as Police and Crime Commissioners. TopOfTheCops readers in the press began to … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 7 Comments