Signing the Declaration of Acceptance of Office
Maintaining police visibility and making sure local people have a voice and are heard are top priorities for newly-elected Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach.
Lord Bach, who has lived in the city and the county for over 40 years, replaces Sir Clive Loader as the county’s PCC, formally took the Declaration of Acceptance of Office today, agreeing to serve the public of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for the next four years.
After signing the oath, Lord Bach thanked all those who voted in the PCC election during Thursday’s election and said that he was delighted with the outcome.
“I’m here to serve the public of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland – not just those who voted for me,” he said.
“I realise there’s still a lot to do to make the communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland safer but I want to acknowledge all the good work carried out by my predecessor, Sir Clive Loader.
“I’m really looking forward to working with Chief Constable Simon Cole and the senior officer team as well as partners and stakeholders across the force area.”
The experienced barrister and former shadow attorney general said his top priorities for improving the safety of communities remained the same as his pre-election manifesto pledges.
Among these is a commitment to raise awareness of the role of the PCC and ensure local people are more aware of the importance of his office and what it can do for them. He also wants to be more accessible to the public, listening to their views and ensuring they are collected and acted upon.
He is also committed to increasing police visibility on the streets which he knows is so important to the public, leading to greater confidence in policing and an improved relationship between the public and the police. He is determined to see the increased reporting of, and support for, victims of domestic violence, hate crime, cyber-crime and antisocial behaviour.
“There’s a significant amount of work to do and I’m eager to get on with it,” he added.
The Declaration of Acceptance of Office was held today (Thursday May 12) at Force Headquarters, Enderby. It follows the elections held on Thursday 5 May which saw Lord Bach win with 78,188 votes.
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Posted on Thursday 12th May 2016