Meet the ex-police officer hoping to be Hampshire's next Police and Crime Commissioner

Steve James-Bailey, 59, spent 23 years serving Hampshire Constabulary across Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester.

Now, the ex-beat officer will represent Hampshire Independents in the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections, due to be held on May 6.

Mr James-Bailey, also an ex-RAF communications specialist, wants more PCSOs, a better 101 service and to treat victims of crime with more compassion and understanding.

He said: ‘Removing the current barriers between the police and the public is a major challenge – officers need to get back to the community.

‘A friendly chat to or from your local beat bobby can resolve a problem before it happens.

‘We need better support and effective aftercare for victims; being a victim is bad, so empathy and the feeling of support is paramount.’

Alongside these aims, Mr James-Bailey has pledged to take minor crimes more seriously and tackle the recent wave of rural crime, where agricultural machinery and livestock are targeted by thieves.

He added that by not standing with a national party representative, he doesn’t have political barriers to overcome – specifically on retaining and improving funding for Hampshire Constabulary,

Mr James-Bailey said: ‘Communications via the 101 system, dropping into a police station or speaking to the local community officer has been seriously eroded since austerity.

‘This needs to be re-established as soon as possible.’

For more information and to give the former police officer your thoughts on his policies, people can go to hantsind.com/pcc/survey

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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