Philip Seccombe has outlined his plans for the future after swearing an oath of impartiality, as he prepares to begin a third term as Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire.
Mr Seccombe won the Police and Crime Commissioner election on May 2, extending his period of office for a further four years. He was first elected to the post in 2016 and again in 2021, before topping the polls for a third time last week.
Among his first acts was to swear an oath to serve all the people of Warwickshire, pledging to act with integrity, transparency and diligence and give voice to the public, especially victims of crime. He also pledged to ensure the police can cut crime and protect the public, respecting the operational independence of police officers, and to work with partners to ensure the safety of the community and effective criminal justice.
Setting out his priorities for the next four years, he said he wanted to:
- Further reduce crime, anti-social behaviour and re-offending.
- Continue to increase police officer numbers.
- Increase support for victims and survivors of all crimes.
- Reduce road traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
- Engage with and listen to residents and communities.
- Build further financial resilience for Warwickshire Police.
Reflecting on his election success, he said: “Firstly, I feel very humbled and privileged to be elected for a third term as Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire. I want to thank all of those who voted for me in the recent election, however, from now on, I will be acting for all communities and residents of Warwickshire, without fear or favour.
“I’m now looking forward to preparing a new Police and Crime Plan. I will be getting out amongst our communities and residents, to listen to what they have to say and to feed that into my conversations with the Chief Constable and other senior officers.
“Over the last eight years and particularly during the course of the election, I’ve had many comments from residents about visibility of the police. I want communities to understand that the police are there to protect them, that there are increased numbers and they are doing everything they can to engage with and listen to residents. That will be a priority for me and I think this will also help with those who have a fear of crime.
“One of the most talked about issues in policing at the moment is trust and confidence. There have been nationally – and sadly locally – cases where police officers have not conducted themselves as they should. I will be holding the Chief Constable to account to root out those officers who do not behave well and indeed to make sure that we don’t recruit new officers and staff who have a history that is not becoming of the service.
“I also want to do more for victims over this coming four-year period. Victims of crime are not always put at the forefront of the criminal justice system, so I am going to work with criminal justice partners to ensure that they are properly represented, get a fair hearing and they get support during the process of going to court and giving evidence.
“Finally, I think we can continue to build a resilient, professional and efficient police force here in Warwickshire. I certainly aim to be part of that and to encourage the force to do everything they can to improve their performance and indeed their standing within the community.
“There is plenty of work still to do and I’m looking forward to working hard to ensure I deliver this for local people across the next four years.”
