Labour's Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner candidate sets out vision for more bobbies to make residents feel safe again

Dr Paul Williams, 47, has been chosen by Labour party members to be their chosen candidate for the role in an election on Thursday, May 7.

The former MP for Stockton South says he would work tirelessly to restore faith in the force, which was rated inadequate in all key areas last year, and make people feel safe.

He said he would also fight to reverse cuts of 500 officers over the last 10 years and ensure visible and responsive policing.

Dr Williams said: “Everybody knows Cleveland Police has a troubled past and it’s a really important job that needs doing well to be the public’s representative having oversight and holding them to account.”

The role of police and crime commissioner includes the power to hire and fire the Chief Constable and set the policing strategy and budget.

He added: “To move from where we are now is going to take a lot of hard work but we have got good foundations to build on.

“Every single day I would be fighting to get the resource that we need. We need to get those 500 bobbies back and more, because crime is rising.”

Dr WIlliams said Cleveland’s funding allocation from the Government is unfair given the area's high levels of deprivation and drug use.

He added he was concerned about violent crime which is on the rise such as two stabbings involving teenagers in Hartlepool last week.

Dr Williams, from Stockton, said: “My vision is that victims feel valued and only have to tell their story once, that Cleveland Police is really visible and really responsive, that the public feel safe and we will feel proud of Cleveland Police.”

He believes it needs someone from outside the force and carried out a similar role within the NHS overseeing performance, finance and quality for Hartlepool and Stockton Clinical Commissioning Group.

“It’s a big job that needs doing and I think I’ve got the skills to do it,” he said.