Criminal waste or key policing role?

It was the most visible representation of the lack of interest in a vote that failed to fire up the electorate in the most unspectacular way.

Turnout figures later showed only 16.4 per cent of people in the county dragged themselves to the polling station to make their choice for the person who would oversee crimefighting.

But despite a general feeling of apathy, opposition in some quarters to the role and alarm over the potential growth of politics in policing, people are now set to vote again on who will take the post.

Whether the same level of indifference is shown this time remains to be seen.

But whatever the mood, five candidates will go head-to-head in the poll, with the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, UKIP and an independent contesting the post.

Despite the less-than-spectacular start, the three-and-a-half years the post has been in operation have not been quiet ones in Cumbria.

Richard Rhodes was elected for the Conservatives in November 2012, ushering in what was a major change in policing.

His first year in the post did not go smoothly and featured controversy that drew national headlines.

Richard Rhodes Mr Rhodes spent nearly £700 of public cash on two trips in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes car.

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As soon as he realised how much the trips were costing he put a stop to the practice and paid back the cash.

But the fall-out from the emergence of this was to cast a shadow for some time.

Since then Mr Rhodes has featured regularly in the news for more positive achievements.

Now, as he prepares to stand down after choosing not to contest a re-election, he has been showered with praise by Cumbria’s chief constable.

Jerry Graham said Mr Rhodes was leaving a “tangible legacy” and had helped the force and county achieve things it had not before.

He listed Mr Rhodes’ main achievements as including helping to get a top-notch CCTV system off-the-ground and his crucial role in Cumbria getting a centre for sex attack victims.

A new CCTV system was launched last summer after the previous set-up came under threat.

Related article:   New CCTV system helping tackle crime on Cumbria's streets

And the Bridgeway sexual assault referral centre opened before Christmas at Penrith – providing a service that victims previously had to go to Preston for.

Related article:   New support service opens for Cumbrian victims of sexual assault

Speaking at a public meeting, Mr Graham told Mr Rhodes: “With your leadership we’ve managed to push through these things.

“You’ve raised the profiles of victims, enhanced public engagement and recognised changes in criminality.

“You have challenged us where appropriate. You have been critical where that has been necessary and supported us.”

Whoever takes over they face a job that will oversee policing during a rapidly changing time in fighting crime.

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Flood victims have been urged to make sure they don't miss out in this week's election.

Many people were forced out of their homes as a result of Storm Desmond in December and are living in temporary accommodation.

It is likely though that their polling card may have been sent to the permanent address. This is because these are sent to an individual's address on the electoral register.

Thet are not required to vote but do show which polling station someone should go to on election day.

Postal votes which have not been returned can also be handed in at this station.

The new commissioner will find cyber crime and child sexual exploitation increasingly taking prominence in officers’ casebooks.

And after years of falling crime figures, the number of offences have started to rise.

Cuts to the service have led to a drop in officer numbers, a situation that reached fever pitch last autumn in the face of a potential overhaul of funding that was expected to cost Cumbria millions of pounds.

This did not materialise as soon as predicted.

But the threat of cashflow changes still exists – and will cast a shadow over the reign of whoever is the next person to be elected crime commissioner.

THE CANDIDATES

Loraine BirchallLoraine Birchall, Liberal Democrat:  The 48-year-old is the daughter of a retired senior member of Cumbria Special Constabulary, runs an IT business and stood to be Carlisle’s MP last year.

She said: "I come from a policing family and have a reasonable understanding of the operational side of police work, which would make it easy to work with the chief constable.

“My day job is strategic management and project management. I am helicoptered in to fix problems.

“The ability to look at the root cause and dig down and deal with that would serve me well."

Mrs described herself as "a very strong networker" who is "used to dealing with people at all levels".

“The commissioner has to be a facilitator to bring all of the strands together," she added.

On her top priority if she landed the job, she added: “It's hard to choose just one.

"The one everybody says to me on the doorstep is they want to see more feet on the street."

She added there needed to be "an open and honest debate about what the police are there to provide".

“They are the first to respond in an emergency and there long after the cameras have gone," added Mrs Birchall.

“They deal with the things no one else wants to deal with or can."

Peter McCallPeter McCall, Conservative:  Retired army Colonel who recently served in Sierra Leone in the relief response to Ebola. He was Regimental Colonel of The Royal Logistic Corps, overseeing 16,000 personnel supporting operations in Afghanistan.

“I hope that people will consider competence and experience to do the job above party politics," said Mr McCall.

“I have led very large organisations. I was regimental colonel of a corps of 16,000 people.

“My whole career has been about leadership and managing big budgets.

“This time last year I was in Sierra Leone leading on Ebola.

“I think that gives me the experience of dealing at a very local level, up to dealing with government, which is what the police and crime commissioner role is about.

“We need a powerful advocate for Cumbria to make sure we get a good deal on our budget for Cumbria Police.

“I think the competence to do that is more important than party political causes."

He added: “I’m not a politician. I’ve got a track record of doing, not talking. I believe in action."

He said his first priority would be "making sure we get the right budget settlement".

Mr McCall has ambitions to increase the number of volunteer special constables and the number of community support officers.

“I want to engage young people in talking about crime," he added.

“It's about engaging them, in understanding what their perspective is on crime, in particular cyber and internet crime.

“They are the people who are most vulnerable and most savvy.

“We can learn from them as much as teach them.”

Michael PyeMichael Pye, UKIP:  The former Cockermouth Grammar School pupil is a chartered chemical engineer who stood to be Copeland’s MP at the last general election.

He said: “People should vote for me because UKIP is a strong believer in law and order and that management of the police and crime is vital to ensuring we can have peaceful lives.

“UKIP has a detailed manifesto that promotes visible policing, zero tolerance to crime and many other initiatives.

“UKIP strongly supports help for victims through community groups.”

He added: “My top priority would be to sell the job to the public as many people still do not appreciate or understand what a commissioner and his team do.

“Also, I would verify that the money spent by the existing commissioner has been well-spent before starting the next phase of financial support to community help organisations.”

Mary RobinsonMary Robinson, Independent:  The Eden district and county councillor chairs the Carlisle and Eden Community Safety Partnership and stood in the last election for crime commissioner, finishing third.

She flagged up her "extensive experience" working in community safety and leadership she had shown in local government as reasons to vote for her.

“I'm an extensive networker. I know who to go to, I know who does what," she added.

“I already have those relationships working on the ground.

“I stood last time and was very close to winning it. This time round, I’ve got another four years work of senior office and that sets me head and shoulders above the other candidates."

If she won, she said she would undertake a complete review of what is going on.

"I wouldn't be throwing the baby out with the bathwater," she added.

"There is a lot of good work going on.

“It's about getting the partners round the table and agreeing the new priorities, going out to consultations with the residents.

“Load of stuff came up through the election during canvassing.

“Budget cuts are key. We need to see how the budget balances and delivering a budget for Cumbria."

Reg WatsonReg Watson, Labour:  He was the former chairman of the now-defunct Cumbria Police Authority from 1989 to 2009. Mr Watson has been a county councillor since 1981 and received an OBE for his contribution.

He said: “Out of the candidates I’ve got the most experience in policing from 20 years as the chairman of Cumbria Police Authority."

Mr Watson said the force achieved top results during that time for crime figures, catching criminals and solving crime.

He added: “People use phrases about priorities.

“But we’ve got a diverse county. That county is not the same in Barrow as it is in Carlisle.

“For Carlisle it might be car crime, in Barrow it might be something else.

“If you break the law it is the priority.

“My priority is to improve the force by catching more criminals.

“If you catch more criminals we will have less victims.

“Let’s stop the crimes in the first place."

Mr Watson added: “I want to raise the powers of the PCSOs (community support officers) so they can do more in the community than they can at the moment.”