Sir Graham Bright will not seek re-election as Police and Crime Commissioner

Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Sir Graham Bright, has announced that he will not put himself forward as a candidate for next year’s Police and Crime Commissioner elections.

Sir Graham was elected to office in November 2012 as the first Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire. In that time he has overseen many changes in the force as he and his team have worked closely with the Constabulary to maintain effective policing in the face of significant budget reductions.

Speaking about his decision, Sir Graham says, “It has been an enormous honour and privilege for me to serve the people as Cambridgeshire’s first Police and Crime Commissioner. This is an immensely satisfying role and I have relished the challenges posed by the changes we have had to make in order to continue to deliver an effective police force in a period of reducing budgets.

I will leave office in May 2016 with the Constabulary in a strong position and with many long term programmes underway that will ensure a strong financial and operational footing in the future. Between now and May 2016, I will continue to drive forward the changes underway to ensure that whoever succeeds me starts with a strong foundation”.

This is a very demanding role and one which I do not feel I can commit myself to for another four years. While I will not be putting my feet up I am looking forward to spending more time with my wife and continuing to use my experience to provide advice and guidance to some of the other organisations I support”.

There are many things I am proud of having achieved over the last three years. Among the highlights are:

• Local policing – despite making savings of over £13 million since 2012 we have maintained frontline officer numbers
• Protecting the vulnerable – the force has developed a stronger focus on protecting the most vulnerable members of society
• Victims’ Hub – a national example of what can be done to help victims of crime cope and recover from their ordeals
• Mental Health – working with the NHS, local authorities and others to ensure those with mental health problems are dealt with appropriately and are not held in police cells
• Youth work – Supporting young people through the Volunteer Police Cadets and the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Youth Fund
• Collaboration – working with neighbouring forces, particularly Bedfordshire Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary will save money and improve the county’s resilience to cope with major incidents. Savings can be used to protect local policing
• Technology – Cambridgeshire are adopting technology that will revolutionise the way the police work and increase local visibility of uniformed officers
• Financial management – with a strong business ethos, Cambridgeshire are in a stronger position than most as we face the challenges of the future
• HMIC PEEL assessment rated us as GOOD

Police and Crime Commissioner elections are due to be held on 5^th May 2016.

The Conservative party will announce their candidate in the near future.

Ends

Notes to editors

Media enquiries to:

Charles Kitchin – Director of Public Engagement & Communications

Director of Public Engagement & Communications

Tel DD: 01954 713906

Mobile: 07809 332291

About The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner

Sir Graham Bright is the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire.

Police and Crime Commissioners have responsibility for delivering an efficient and effective police service in their area. Commissioners set police and crime objectives, the police budget and issue crime and disorder reduction grants through the Police and Crime Plan. Commissioners also hold the police to account, making them answerable to the public.

Further details can be found on the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner website.