‘There’s plenty to do, but I’m confident we’ll deliver’
FOUR MORE YEARS: Jonathan Evison. Pictures by Tom Arran
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Jonathan Evison says he is relishing the opportunity to help further improve policing and provide more support for communities across the region.
Mr Evison is the region’s first PCC to be elected for a second term. PCCs normally serve for four years before an election is held, but Mr Evison only had three years in his first term.
His predecessor, Keith Hunter, served an extra year because Covid restrictions at the time meant an election couldn’t be held after his fourth year. Mr Evison’s first term was then only three years, to rebalance the system.
Conservative candidate Mr Evison was last month elected with 51,083 votes, compared to Labour candidate Simon O’Rourke’s 45,846 and Lib Dem candidate Bob Morgan’s 30,848.
“Getting elected three years ago was a surprise because I wasn’t in the running until four weeks before the vote,” said Mr Evison. “There was an issue with the Conservative candidate, and I had to step in.
RE-ELECTED: Jonathan Evison talking to The Hull Story
“This time, I knew it was going to be challenging because of the national political picture. But we ran a positive election campaign and, ultimately, this is about local issues.
“It’s about a local person helping local people, so the individual does cut through and make a difference.
“But for people to have confidence in you, you need to have been doing good things that you can talk about, which we had.
“We had 204 different projects that I could talk about, so I knew if I could get that message over, I stood a good chance.
“Now, everything is in place from the work we’ve put in over the last few years, and we’ll be able to build on that. There’s plenty more to do, but I have a lot of confidence we’ll be able to deliver.”
Humberside Police is currently ranked the best force in the country. Following its last inspection, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Humberside as “outstanding” in six out of nine categories. It is the highest number of “outstanding” grades of any of the 43 police forces in England and Wales.
SURVEY: Jonathan Evison has opened an online consultation
However, Mr Evison is adamant the force can improve, and is clear about the areas he wants to see it focus on.
“Humberside is still classed as the best police force in the country,” he said. “We think things are good, and we think things have moved on since the last inspection, but there are always improvements that can be made.
“My main themes are more visible policing, tackling drugs and antisocial behaviour, as well as violence against women and girls.
“I also want to make sure urban, rural and coastal areas are all well represented by the force, as well as improve road safety and victim support.”
Mr Evison said major Humberside Police operations like Shield to tackle drug-related crime, Yellowfin to combat nuisance motorbikes and Coastal to address summer disorder show the force is responding to community concerns.
He also stressed the importance of the role the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner plays in securing vital funding for work to improve communities.
“I’d say about 50 per cent of our time is about policing, and the rest is about community support, delivering grant funding and bringing money into the area,” he said.
“We have a preventative education programme that covers tens of thousands of young people, and we also support the delivery of victim, rehabilitation and medical services, among others.
“There’s so much work we do that many people still don’t realise.
“The grants will continue and will be accelerated, because we want to do everything we can to support our communities.
“There’s a lot to do, and we’re on with it.”
Police and Crime Plan survey
JONATHAN Evison has opened an online consultation to gather public views on policing and community safety across the region.
The results of the survey will contribute to the commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan – the strategic document which will set out his priorities to reduce crime and improve community safety over the next four years.
Mr Evison said: “In my previous term, we’ve been working hard to increase feelings of safety and improve public confidence in policing, but there’s much more to do.
“It’s my job to work on behalf of the public to ensure Humberside Police provide an effective and efficient police force, and both support and hold the Chief Constable to account for their performance.
“My office also commissions other services to improve community safety and support victims of crime.
“In this term, I want to engage even more with our local communities – rural, coastal and urban – to understand their views on policing and community safety and what they would like to see in my new Police and Crime Plan, which I’ll publish in the Autumn.
“This is your opportunity to help shape the work of our office and that of our partners for the next four years.
“I’d like our residents, partners and businesses to contribute towards its development. The survey will take around 10 minutes to complete and I look forward to hearing all views.”
The key areas the commissioner is asking about are:
• Residents’ top five priorities for the police and other agencies to tackle
• How people would like to engage with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner
• Perception of crime levels and experiences of reporting crime
• Levels of confidence in Humberside Police.
To take the survey, scan the QR code or visit humberside-pcc.gov.uk. It closes at midnight on Sunday, July 28.
For more information, follow Humberside PCC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.