Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner

The Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner is the police and crime commissioner, an elected official tasked with setting out the way crime is tackled by Wiltshire Police in the English county of Wiltshire. The post was created in November 2012, following an election held on 15 November 2012, and replaced the Wiltshire Police Authority. The incumbent until May 2021 was Angus Macpherson, a Conservative Party candidate.

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner
Incumbent
Philip Wilkinson
since 20 August 2021
Police and crime commissioner of Wiltshire Police
Reports toWiltshire Police and Crime Panel
AppointerElectorate of Wiltshire
Term lengthFour years
Constituting instrumentPolice Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011
PrecursorWiltshire Police Authority
Inaugural holderAngus Macpherson
Formation22 November 2012
DeputyDeputy Police and Crime Commissioner
Salary£71,400
Websitewww.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk

The PCC's office is within Wiltshire Police headquarters, Devizes.[1]

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the election due to be held in May 2020 was postponed to 6 May 2021, as were all other local elections.[2]

The incumbent PCC is Philip Wilkinson, who was elected on 19 August 2021,[3] following a re-run of the May 2021 election.

List of Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioners
Name Political party From To
Angus Macpherson Conservative 22 November 2012 12 May 2021
Kieran Kilgallen (acting) Independent 11 July 2021[4] 19 August 2021
Philip Wilkinson Conservative 20 August 2021 Incumbent

2021 election re-run
Main article: 2021 Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner by-election

Jonathon Seed, the Conservative candidate, withdrew from the contest in the interval between the vote and the count when it emerged that (if elected) he would be disbarred owing to a spent conviction for drink driving.[5][6] Seed said he had been advised by his party that the offence would not affect his application and that he had believed he was eligible, although it was reported that Conservative headquarters were unaware of the offence until a few days before the count.[5] Seed went on to win the election on second preferences.[7]

Wiltshire Police asked Thames Valley Police to investigate the candidacy, "to ensure independent oversight and to remove any potential conflict of interest".[8] Seed was later charged with making a false declaration. He chose to be tried by jury and his case was set to be heard on 18 July 2022.[9] The Crown Prosecution Service decided to discontinue the case in June 2022,[10] and the following month a 'not guilty' verdict was recorded at Oxford Crown Court.[11]

The cost of a rerun election was expected to be more than £1m.[12] The re-run was held on 19 August 2021.[13] Legislation states that the office becomes vacant two months after a person elected to the office fails to deliver their acceptance (i.e. on 12 July) and requires an election to be held within the subsequent 35 days.[14] To cover the vacancy between 12 July and 19 August, the Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel appointed Kieran Kilgallen, Chief Executive of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, as acting Police and Crime Commissioner.[15][16]

See also

References
  1. "Contact Us". Wiltshire and Swindon Police and Crime Commissioner. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  2. "Coronavirus: English local elections postponed for a year". BBC News. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  3. Paessler, Benjamin (20 August 2021). "Wiltshire PCC election re-run: Updates as votes are counted". Salisbury Journal. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  4. "Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel - Thursday 10 June 2021 10.00 am". Wiltshire Council. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  5. "Jonathon Seed: Conservative PCC candidate barred after offence emerges". BBC News. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  6. Quinn, Ben (9 May 2021). "Police commissioner candidate withdraws over drink-driving conviction". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  7. "Results of Wiltshire and Swindon Police and Crime Commissioner election". Wiltshire Council. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  8. "Jonathon Seed: Police investigate PCC election win". BBC News. 11 May 2021. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  9. "Jonathon Seed: PCC accused of false declaration to stand trial". BBC News. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  10. "Jonathon Seed: 'Pleased and relieved' charges dropped". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  11. Grant, Kirsten; Seaward, Tom (11 July 2022). "Jonathon Seed acquitted of election fraud charge". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  12. "Disbarred Jonathon Seed wins Wiltshire PCC race". BBC News. 10 May 2021. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  13. McLaughlin, Matthew (12 May 2021). "New date for the Police and Crime Commissioner re-election set for August". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  14. Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, part 1, chapter 6
  15. "Interim Police and Crime Commissioner appointed for Swindon and Wiltshire". Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  16. "Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel". Wiltshire Council. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
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