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SHOULD KENT'S CHIEF CONSTABLE BE ELECTED BY VOTERS?

Dear Ed,

I have recently been approached by the Policy review unit at Conservative Central Office, to try to ascertain local views to the following questions:

Are local people in favour of a fully elected Police Authority, and should that authority be a committee of the Kent County Council, or directly elected by voters?

Should the Chief Police Officer also be directly elected by local voters, and not appointed by the Home Office, and merely approved, as at present, by the largely Home Office appointed Police Authority?

I would be most grateful to receive any reaction to these ideas, designed to give more local input into both policing strategy and on the ground crime prevention and detection.

Jonathan Holborow

Chairman, Folkestone and Hythe Conservative Association