As we approach elections for the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, inevitably attention turns to residents’ growing concerns regarding crime and anti-social behaviour.

Recent figures reveal just 6.3% of crimes reported in Crawley last year resulted in any suspect being charged, a real symptom of wider problems presided over by this Tory Government.

As a Labour council, we will continue calling upon our local Police to act where needed.  This worked most recently when, responding to concerns from residents and businesses, we successfully encouraged Sussex Police to take decisive action on crime and anti-social behaviour happening in the town centre, which saw Crawley being chosen for the “Clear Hold Build” project.

But residents will know problems still remain elsewhere.  I want to praise our Police officers, they put their own safety on the line daily.  But too often they’re let down by national Government.  We all deserve better.

For years, the Tory Government starved the Police of funding, slashing Police numbers and closing stations across the county to a point I believed it was genuinely dangerous.  We’re still living with the consequences.  When funding began to return, instead of being funded out of general taxation cynically the Tories piled the burden on through hiking council tax, a regressive tax that takes disproportionately more from lower incomes.  Sussex Police now charges more of your council tax than the Borough Council.

The current Tory Commissioner, Katy Bourne, has been a slavishly loyal servant of the government who has uncomplainingly done their bidding; first as a cheerleader for the savage cuts in Sussex that left us unsafe and police numbers too low, then automatically piling on maximum increases to the local taxpayers thus achieving another national Tory policy aim.

That’s why I’m strongly supporting Paul Richards as Labour’s candidate for Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner.

Because the Tories changed the rules to suit themselves, please remember there is no alternative second vote now, so you will need to vote tactically first time – the Sussex PCC elections have been consistently a straight Labour/Tory fight.  Our Police are important, so please use your vote effectively.

Cllr Michael Jones

Leader, Crawley Borough Council