New Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner not planning on setting crime reduction targets

Speaking to the Chronicle & Echo, Stephen Mold - who was elected in May - said he would not be getting “hung up” on setting particular crime reduction targets but would be taking a longer term approach to reducing violence.

Mr Mold’s approach is in contrast to his predecessor Adam Simmonds, who made a pledge at the start of his term to cut violent crime by 40 per cent.

However, the level of recorded crime actually nearly doubled during his time as Police and Crime Commissioner.

Mr Mold, who will be unveiling his Police and Crime Plan in September, said he would be focussing on early intervention with children to stop them becoming criminals later in life.

Mr Mold said: “If I achieve what I want to on violent crime, the number of reports are going to go through the roof.

“At the moment, domestic violence isn’t reported anywhere near the rate it should be.

“I actually want the reporting of violent crime to go through the roof.

“I want no woman, boy, mother, brother, father to be in any doubt that Northamptonshire Police takes domestic violence very, very seriously. We will listen to you.”

Mr Mold said he wanted to focus on the 2 to 3,000 children who are excluded from school, as they were much more likely to enter the criminal justice system.

He said: “Rather than getting hung up on a particular crime figure, I want to make sure holistically.

“I could set a bunch of target and say to the police get on with it. Instead, I want to make sure it synchronises together and makes the county genuinely safer.

“Some children’s lives, through domestic abuse or bad parenting, are changed significantly at an early age.”

Mr Mold revealed that, due to the fact many of his policies would be long-term, he would like to serve a second term to see them implemented.

He said: “ I would like to do at least two terms. Not because I want to hang on by my fingernails, but I want to look back and achieved something.

“I’m going to have to get a lot of partners in a room and stop them thinking ‘it is my budget’ but get us to pull all our resources to make Northamptonshire safer.

“You probably aren’t going to see the benefit of some of these plans until 10 years time.”