People interested in being a candidate or agent in the first ever Police and Crime Commissioner elections for Staffordshire are being invited to a briefing session.
The briefing will provide an overview of:
• Standing as a candidate and the nomination process.
• The election timetable and key events.
• Postal voting arrangements.
• The election campaign and spending.
• The role of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
The session will take place at 10am on Thursday, 27 September in Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s council chamber, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke.
Police and Crime Commissioners are new, elected roles, which will replace local police authorities. They will not run the police, but will be responsible for holding the chief constable to account on behalf of the public. They will be able to produce a police and crime plan, setting out local policing priorities; set the local policing budget and decide how money will be spent; and appoint and remove chief constables.
To be able to stand as a candidate for the Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner elections on Thursday, 15 November,
a person must:
• Be at least 18 years old on the day of nomination.
• Be a British or Irish citizen, and eligible Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of any other European Union member state.
• Be registered as a local government elector in a local authority area in the Staffordshire Police area – both
at the time of nomination and on polling day.
A person cannot stand for election if on the day of nomination and on polling day they have:
• Been nominated as a candidate at a Police and Crime Commissioner election taking place on the same day for a different
police area.
• Ever been convicted of an imprisonable offence (even if they were not imprisoned or the conviction has been spent).
The full range of disqualifications is complex and there are other reasons which may prevent a person from standing as a candidate.
Paul Hackney, Police Area Returning Officer for Staffordshire, said: “We know there may be people thinking of being a candidate in the Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner elections. The briefing will help people understand the process and get a clearer idea of what to expect if they do become a candidate or agent for the elections. I’d encourage anyone who is interested to get in touch and come along to the briefing session.”
Anyone who would like to attend can send their details to Paul Hackney, Police Area Returning Officer, by writing to him at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke, ST4 1RG; emailing paul.hackney@stoke.gov.uk; or calling 01782 232610.
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For all media enquiries please contact Andrew Brunt in the Communications Department at Stoke-on-Trent City Council on 01782 232671.
Issued: 19/09/12