Knife crime, 'culture of sexism' and more discussed at hustings for Northamptonshire commissioner role

Northamptonshire’s Police Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) candidates faced live questions at a hustings held by the University of Northampton and NLive Radio.

Only two out of three candidates were in attendance as Lib Dem’s Ana Savage Gunn and Labour’s Danielle Stone were quizzed on issues spanning knife crime, politics in the commissioner’s role, a “culture of sexism” in the fire department and their first port of call in the PFCC office.

The Conservative candidate Martyn Emberson told the university that he was unavailable for the event.

Students from the University of Northampton put their questions to the candidates at an in-person event on Thursday, April 25. If elected, all candidates will be entering into their first term in the role.

The incumbent PFCC Stephen Mold announced he would not be running again for the position following a recent scandal in which he called preferred chief fire officer, Nikki Watson, a “b***h” during a private meeting with firefighters.

A “culture of racism and sexism” in the fire service was a hot topic of the hustings and candidates were asked how they would make the department a better place to work. Danielle Stone said that “stability” was needed at the top in leadership positions to promote the proper cultures. She also said a diversified workforce was needed and “huge training issues” around equality needed to be acted on.

Ana Savage Gunn said having a female commissioner would be a good start at tackling the issues and that more “women and people of diversity” needed to be encouraged to join the fire brigade to stop the organisation being seen as “macho”.

The candidates were also asked what steps they would take to reduce knife crime across Northamptonshire. Ms Savage Gunn said that poverty, mental health, substance abuse and childhood experiences are all contributors to knife crime. She said that early intervention “is key” and bringing in partner organisations to speak to young people in schools in needed.

Ms Stone said that there needs to be an initiative to tackle why young people are so “alienated and unhappy”. She said that in her experience working in schools, she found young people’s biggest concerns were that they “don’t feel safe” and she wants to see more support for them.

One member of the audience questioned Ana Savage Gunn on her previous calls for the Commissioner role to be abolished. She said that there shouldn’t be politics in police or fire and that the old system was “better value for money”. She said that despite her views, the role is here and can’t be taken away and to “at least pick somebody with knowledge and expertise to deal with it, not necessarily a politician”.

Both candidates were also asked what their first port of call would be on day one in office. Danielle Stone said she would do two things: the first being to “interrogate” the budget and find what money can be “clawed back out” for frontline services. She added the second thing would be to coordinate a meeting with all the chief officers and local authorities to start a conversation about how to collaborate and bring down the rate of crime.

Ana Savage Gunn said she would start by leading with integrity and by example and appointing a police chief and fire officers that the county “can be proud of”. She said that after that she would then look at the budget and see where money can be put back in “to where it should be”.

Polls are set to open at 7am on May 2 across the whole county and will close at 10pm the same day. The election results are due to be announced on Friday afternoon, May 3.

Voting in the election will slightly differ this year as the electorate will only get to choose one candidate in the “first past the post system”. In previous PFCC elections, voters could mark down a first and second choice of candidate.

People who vote in person will have to remember to bring an accepted form of photo ID with them on the day. You do not need to bring your poll card with you.

You can view the full hustings and the candidates’ responses to further questions on the University’s YouTube channel.