Matthew Barber, the re-elected Thames Valley PCC, discusses his observations about the recent election campaign and the challenges of being a PCC.

He notes that there was a lot of tactical voting based on national issues rather than local policing.

He emphasizes the importance of being apolitical and focusing on what’s best for the community.

Barber also discusses the need to improve the visibility and understanding of the PCC role and outlines his plans for the next four years, including addressing retail crime and increasing the number of officers in neighbourhood policing roles.

He acknowledges the political challenges ahead for policing and the importance of cross-party collaboration.

Takeaways

• Tactical voting based on national issues rather than local policing was a significant factor in the election campaign.
• Being apolitical and focusing on what’s best for the community is crucial for a PCC.
• Improving the visibility and understanding of the PCC role is necessary.
• Plans for the next four years include addressing retail crime and increasing the number of officers in neighborhood policing roles.
• There are political challenges ahead for policing, and cross-party collaboration is important.

Sound Bites

• “I’m not a tribal politician who’s tub thumping all the time.”
• “Whilst the message from the public is still, we want to see more police, we want them to be more visible.”
• “Yes, I think we should be a higher profile.”

Chapters

• 00:00 Election Campaigns and Shifting Margins
• 02:51 The Importance of Visibility and Policing Locally
• 04:11 Raising the Profile of the PCC Role
• 05:48 Priorities: Retail Crime and Neighborhood Policing
• 08:56 Challenges for Policing Regardless of the Political Landscape
• 12:05 The Role of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners 

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