PCC for Essex - Nick Alston

I am delighted to have been elected as the first ever Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex. Policing is in my blood, with my father having served Essex Police for 37 years.  When I was born, he was the Inspector in Harwich, so the very first thing I saw in this world was the inside of the police station where my parents were living. Essex is also in my blood, as I was educated in the county and I live with my family in Chelmsford. I have worked in operational defence and security all my life, interacting closely with police officers of all ranks.  I know the challenges and sheer unpredictability of policing, and I have huge respect for the professionalism and courage of everyone at Essex Police. I have spent the past six months travelling around Essex, learning as much as possible about the views and the concerns of the people of our county. As Police and Crime Commissioner, I intend to be highly visible and vocal in leading the public debate about crime and policing, fighting for what is right for the people of Essex, listening to and engaging with victims of crime. The priorities on which I campaigned were:

• to ensure policing met local and individual needs;
• to prioritise front line and visible policing with officers responding rapidly and professionally to incidents;
• and championing local initiatives between the police, local councils and the voluntary sector to reduce crime and build safer communities.

I hope these are policing priorities that we all share and can work together to deliver. We are living in what the press call "a time of austerity". In these challenging times, I envisage the Police and Crime Commissioner acting as a critical and influential friend to Essex Police, both supporting the force and holding it to account in a constructive and considered fashion. I am very proud to be the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, and I intend to work tirelessly with the police, with councils, with partner agencies and with the people of Essex to keep our communities as safe as possible.