The Lib Dem candidate for the role of Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon addressing violent crime and high rates of sexual offences in Swindon must be a priority.
Alan Hagger describes himself as an experienced service commissioner in the field of policing and criminal justice.
He said: “Swindon suffers from high crime rates compared to the rest of Wiltshire, with the most common crimes being violent crime, sexual offences and burglaries. At the same time, there is no police presence in the town centre.
“We need police to be more accessible everywhere, but especially in our larger cities. We must work with councils to ensure that streets are properly lit and that active CCTV is in place in town centres.
"We need to make sure that the organised gangs are cracked down on and that the enforcement is in place, but we also need to look at the underlying causes and invest in early intervention, diversion and education.”
Before standing for PCC, Mr Hagger was Head of Strategic Commissioning for three Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioners since 2013.
He says that under his leadership his team secured millions of pounds of additional funding each year and developed highly effective services for victims of crime, repeat offenders, young people at risk of offending, and crime prevention initiatives. Most recently, he has been working with a London prison to reduce reoffending rates.
Mr Hagger added: "If elected in May, I will represent the people of Wiltshire and Swindon with openness and transparency. I will be honest about what the police can and can’t do, and through working in partnership with local residents, maximise what is possible.
“My biggest priority will be to restore community policing. I want police officers to be visible and known to people in their communities, and people should be able to contact police where they live. Police officers are working hard with limited resources, therefore a true partnership approach is needed to reduce crime, tackle ASB, and improve outcomes for all victims of crime.
“More visible policing, less crime, and better support for victims - that’s what I’ll be delivering.”
Mr Hagger wants to meet and hear from as many residents as possible in the run up to the elections and has launched a short survey which can be accessed through www.alanhagger.co.uk and his Facebook page.
The candidates for Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon are:
Stanka Adamcova - Labour and Co-operative Party
Philip Wilkinson - Conservative and Unionist Party
Alan Hagger - Liberal Democrats
Mike Rees - Independent
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