The Conservative Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) candidate hopes to build on the legacy of the outgoing incumbent.
David Lloyd is the only person to have held the Herts PCC post since it was created in 2012.
His Tory colleague Jonathan Ash-Edwards is standing for election to the role, with polls due to open at 7am on Thursday (May 2).
“Hertfordshire’s got more police officers than ever before, and that’s a really positive thing in terms of what people primarily want, which is to see more police officers in their communities,” said Mr Ash-Edwards.
On the campaign trail in Bishop’s Stortford, he said: “That has happened with Hertfordshire paying one of the lowest shares of police precept council tax in the country.
“More police, safer streets, value for money – I think they are all good measures.”
According to Home Office figures, 2,083 officers were employed in front-line roles across the county on March 31 last year, up from 1,891 in 2010 and 1,667 in 2015.
Council tax-payers in the benchmark band D properties pay £251 towards the Herts PCC’s office in 2024-25, against a national average of £268.
Mr Ash-Edwards said the county is “ahead of the curve” in its prevention work.
“David’s got a really positive legacy that he’s handing on to whoever is elected,” he said.
“Victims of crime come from all backgrounds and have all sorts of experiences, but the one thing they all have in common is not wanting to have been a victim in the first place, so if you can work upstream to prevent crimes and have fewer victims, then that’s a really good thing.
“The work that’s begun in Hertfordshire is really positive and something I’d like to develop and do more on if I were elected.
“Crime prevention, reducing demand on policing, will mean police can be visible in communities.”
Mr Ash-Edwards added: “In my inbox and in conversations with residents, I want to really focus on the response to burglary. There are still too many victims of burglary.
“I want to make sure the response from the police is more than just a crime number – it’s about following every line of enquiry and, where there’s a hotspot, grasping it.
“There are also some challenges around firearms licensing which are in the inbox for people who are legally entitled to own a firearm – for recreation, rural sports or business purposes. There are concerns being expressed at the moment around the speed of processing.”
PCCs must work in co-operation with county, district and borough councils, according to the law which set up the role.
Mr Ash-Edwards said the role “is about joint working and intervention”.
He said: “There are many services that interact with people, sometimes in a pathway towards crime or becoming a victim.
“For example, in most cases, someone having a mental health crisis, the worst thing you can do is have a police officer turn up. There’s a national package called Right Care, Right Person trying to move that mental health call back into the NHS, where it should be.
“One of the great opportunities that having a single individual, elected by the public with a mandate, gives you is the ability to bring all that together.”
Before he moved to Hertsmere with his partner, Mr Ash-Edwards was a councillor in and around Haywards Heath for 16 years, where he was leader of Mid Sussex District Council from 2019 to 2023.
He said: “The PCC isn’t a police officer. They are responsible for the strategic direction of policing, the priorities, the budgets, the holding to account – those are different skill sets which I have got experience in doing.
“My background is public service. I’ve always been someone who believes in giving back to the community and believes in getting stuck in and ensuring we have really good public services.”
THE OTHER CANDIDATES
Cllr Matt FISHER (Green Party) – https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/news/green-party-candidate-will-build-community-spirit-if-he-wins-9364088/
Cllr Tom PLATER (Labour) – https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/news/labour-candidate-will-target-shoplifters-if-he-wins-hertford-9364120/
Cllr Sean PRENDERGAST (Liberal Democrat) –https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/news/lib-dem-candidate-will-prioritise-domestic-violence-if-he-wi-9364111/