South Wales PCC elections: Q&A with all four candidates

Vale of Glamorgan voters will be among those casting their ballots to see who represents them for the next four years.

All four candidates, representing the Labour Party, Plaid Cymru, Liberal Democrats and Conservative Party, have taken part in a Q&A with the Argus, where they touch on a number of subjects about how they would tackle the role.

This is what they had to say.

Emma Wools (Labour Party candidate)

Lives in: South Wales

Current job: Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales

1) What will be the first thing you'd do as South Wales PCC?

Meet with community groups and key stakeholders to develop our Police and Crime Plan for South Wales.

2) Tough on crime, or tough on the causes of crime? 

Both. I strongly believe that policing’s mission is as much to prevent crime as it is to fight crime where and when it occurs.

3) How will you hold the leadership of South Wales Police to account? 

I will increase public participation in scrutiny and challenge, ensure this is informed by robust and independent evidence, ensure outcomes are transparent and promote a learning culture in policing.

4) How will you improve policing for people in the Vale of Glamorgan?

I’ll work with stakeholders to identify crime hot spots in the Vale, promote responsive and proactive policing there, and work with partners to set crime prevention priorities.

5) Do you support the devolution of policing powers and criminal justice to Wales? 

Yes, but this must come with a suitable financial settlement from the UK Government and be delivered at a pace that supports quality of service delivery.

6) What is your favourite TV detective or police show?

Line of Duty

Dennis Clarke (Plaid Cymru candidate)

Lives in: Barry

Current job: Solicitor focussed on crime, family, firearms, environment and planning

1) What will be the first thing you'd do as South Wales PCC? 

A complete audit of everything that has gone before to undo those things that should not be there and to plan progress for a better police service going forward. There are many issues that need to be discussed with the Chief Constable and those who know me know that I like a challenge and am usually good for it.

2) Tough on crime, or tough on the causes of crime? 

There is no reason for this to be one or the other. I would like to see good work to divert people away from a life of crime. Catch them early and there is a better chance we can be successful. We also need to face up to the fact that there are consequences to committing crime and these need to be dealt with appropriately and much quicker than we see at present.

3) How will you hold the leadership of South Wales Police to account?

The PCC has the power to sack a Chief Constable but threats are not a good basis for cooperation. I have worked with police officers at all levels for the past 50 years or so as a busy legal aid solicitor. I like to think I know what makes them tick and that I can work with them by persuasion and discussion. I know what we need and I will want to make sure I am respected by the Chief Constable in the same way he expects respect from me. 

4) How will you improve policing for people in the Vale of Glamorgan?      

By making sure that the police force operates efficiently. They protect all communities equally and professionally. I would expect to see professional attitudes at all levels as it would be unusual for any serving officer to be content to be seen to be a failure. Encouragement and the input from my experienced viewpoint will be tried first.

5) Do you support the devolution of policing powers and criminal justice to Wales?

I do. This comes about not through political dogma but because I have a long history of trying to help the system to improve. However, whenever a new justice committee was being formed I would always have to ask the one question, ‘Where is the Welsh involvement’. We should not have to put up with the London centric systems that involve so much delay. The Welsh way needs to include a focus on speeding the systems up. 

6) What is your favourite TV detective or police show?

Perry Mason

Sam Bennett (Liberal Democrat candidate)

Lives in: Swansea

Current job: Marketing Manager

1) What will be the first thing you'd do as South Wales PCC? 

If elected the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales Police I will seek to reverse cuts to funding for Anti-Social Behaviour interventions and ensure outreach in communities and schools is prioritised to build bridges across our communities, meaning our police are once more visible on our streets. 

2) Tough on crime, or tough on the causes of crime? 

Tough on the causes of crime. It is cheaper and more sensible for us to focus our efforts and resources to work to reduce crime overall and looking at preventative interventions to reduce reoffending and partnership working.

3) How will you hold the leadership of South Wales Police to account? 

I would want to see a cultural review undertaken by South Wales Police, an in-depth understanding provided for incidents such as the example of a photographer being incorrectly arrested and charged by the local Police and focus my efforts on being the voice of people to the police and not the other way round which we have all too often seen.

4) How will you improve policing for people in the Vale of Glamorgan?

For me, it would be about being present across the force area and finding out what the priorities are for different communities, and working to reverse cuts to PCSOs, especially community outreach programmes such as visiting schools.

5) Do you support the devolution of policing powers and criminal justice to Wales?

Yes I do support the devolution of policing so that a whole system approach to issues of crime and community safety can be considered in the round across multiple agency in a coordinated fashion.  

6) What is your favourite TV detective or police show?

I have always enjoyed a classic Poirot.

George Carroll (Conservative Party candidate)

Lives in: South Wales

Current job: Senior Adviser to Welsh Conservative Senedd Leader Andrew RT Davies and Vale of Glamorgan councillor.

1) What will be the first thing you'd do as South Wales PCC? 

Deliver more police and safer streets. I’ll undertake an immediate review of the force’s budget to ensure all resources go on core policing and frontline services. Vanity projects will stop.

2) Tough on crime, or tough on the causes of crime? 

Both. We’ll take a zero tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour. We’ll stop violent crime and drug gangs by using effective stop and search. And we’ll stop shoplifting with facial recognition technology.

3) How will you hold the leadership of South Wales Police to account? 

Through the Police and Crime Plan. It will make clear the force must prioritise frontline policing. The Chief Constable’s performance is measured against this, so we’ll ensure our objectives are met.

4) How will you improve policing for people in the Vale of Glamorgan?

By putting more police on our streets. I’ll also make our police more community focused. Each ward in the Vale will have its own named officer.

5) Do you support the devolution of policing powers and criminal justice to Wales? 

Certainly not. We need our police to work together using the same approach. Different systems in England and Wales would make our streets less safe. It would also undermine the Union.

6) What is your favourite TV detective or police show?

Morse