Candidates vying to become Hertfordshire’s next police and crime commissioner (PCC) have been quizzed by the county’s Women’s Rights Network (WRN).
As part of their “Respect My Sex if You Want My X” campaign, the grassroots organisation has been asking candidates at all elections taking place on Thursday (May 2) about their stance on single-sex spaces, sports and services for females.
Four men – Jonathan Ash-Edwards (Conservative), Cllr Matt Fisher (Green Party), Cllr Tom Plater (Labour) and Cllr Sean Prendergast (Liberal Democrat) – are on the ballot paper to succeed the current PCC, Tory David Lloyd, who is stepping down after serving three terms since PCCs were created in 2012.
The role of the PPC includes holding Hertfordshire Constabulary to account, determining law and order objectives, and setting a precept as part of residents’ annual council tax bills to finance the force.
The WRN asked the candidates:
Q1. Do you support the right of women to be strip-searched by a member of the same sex rather than the same ‘gender’? (That is, no searching of females by biological males, however they identify their gender)
Q2. Do you support victims of sexual assault and rape to have female-only officers, counsellors and rape examiners? (That is, not biological males, however they identify their gender)
Q3. Do you support the collection of crime statistics on the basis of sex, a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010, rather than on the basis of ‘gender identity’, which is not a protected characteristic and is not defined in law?
Q4. What are your plans to help address violence against women and girls (VAWG) in Hertfordshire?
The questions follow WRN’s discovery this year that the National Police Chiefs’ Council had mandated an unlawful policy that allowed male officers to search women. That policy guidance was subsequently withdrawn on January 11, but the compliance of some forces is still in question.
Cllr Fisher, a Green Party member of St Albans District and City Council, responded: “The PCC role is one of accountability; setting priorities and the vision of the police force at Hertfordshire county/force level. It is not about stipulating or fettering the day-to-day operational running. I see the role as one of setting the tone and direction, and shaping and inspiring the leadership.
“My responses form my ‘personal view’ and may not be in the gift (as your PCC) to stipulate directly, although soft power, persuasion and leadership are all levers in steering worthwhile outcomes.”
In response to Q1, he said: “I am in agreement that women should only be strip-searched by the same sex officer (not determined by how they identify their gender).”
In response to Q2, he said: “I support female victims of sexual assault and rape to have only female officers, counsellors and rape examiners where practicable. Conversely, male victims of sexual assault and rape ought to be afforded the same practice too; where male victims have the right to ‘male only’ support and intervention.
In response to Q3, he said: “Whereas I do support the metrics you have stipulated, I am not as well versed as I need to be, to ascertain if this is an easy fix – in principle, however, I support the concept.”
In response to Q4, he said: “This is a really complex issue and one where [we need] more awareness, investment in education, prosecution and the tone and leadership in calling this out. It is imperative that the national/county view of intolerance of this behaviour is both robust and united, and emanates from within the police force.
“One of the key areas of strategy (that is in my jurisdiction) is to influence the education at schools and across community groups of what constitutes healthy, respectful, intimate relationships. Respect, dignity, integrity and trust are values that need to be discussed and explored to help inform and guide our young people to help rule out this societal problem. Language, views and behaviour need to be addressed to determine appropriate behaviour.
“Although I would have little to no involvement in setting laws and justice, I would be setting this as a ‘priority’ and would be strongly leading on this important issue and in holding Herts police to account.”
Conservative Mr Ash-Edwards, a former Mid Sussex District Council leader, answered “yes” to the first three questions, saying: “I think that protecting the rights of women on these issues is incredibly important.”
He added: “You will appreciate that some of the policy issues you raise (such as that on crime statistics) are set by the Home Office and not individual PCCs. If elected, I would work with other PCCs nationally to positively influence these and other policy decisions, including by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, where I am aware there have been previous issues with guidance relating to these matters.
“In answer to question 4, tackling VAWG will be one of my areas of priority. A few years ago, I was randomly selected for jury duty on a rape and sexual offences trial, which gave me a really useful insight into how the criminal justice system addresses these offences.”
He said that, if elected, he would:
Consult with women and girls on the tackling VAWG strategy that will be part of the Police and Crime Plan, to understand more about women’s priorities and concerns in Hertfordshire in relation to crime, safety and policing;
Scrutinise the constabulary’s approach to tackling VAWG and introduce public transparency into this process;
Work with the constabulary to ensure domestic violence is being dealt with robustly, including reviewing the use of domestic violence protection orders;
Identify opportunities for the PCC’s office and police to work with other agencies to improve women’s safety in the community when areas are identified where women may feel vulnerable;
Ensure victim services commissioned by the PCC fully address the needs of women and girls; and
Support programmes to address the behaviour of perpetrators.
Mr Ash-Edwards said: “The PCC chairs the Criminal Justice Board, bringing together organisations involved in the criminal justice system. I would use this role to scrutinise the detection and charge rates for rape and sexual offences and bring partners together to identify improvements which can be made across the system.”
Liberal Democrat Cllr Prendergast, a member of North Herts District Council, told the WRN: “Liberal Democrats believe that when it comes to issues like these, the response should be led by experts, not politicians.
“The independent College of Policing, which sets standards for policing across England and Wales, has issued guidance on how forces should record a person’s gender, and it’s right that police forces follow that guidance.
“The National Police Chiefs’ Council is looking at its guidance on conducting strip searches. It’s right that this is reviewed. The priority has to be protecting the safety and dignity of all people being strip-searched, which Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for.
“Liberal Democrats have long called for high standards within our police forces, to ensure that everyone who encounters the police is always treated with dignity and respect. This includes calls for mandatory training for officers to better understand the impact of trauma on survivors so that victims of VAWG are better supported in the criminal justice system. We also want all forces to consider revamping vetting and misconduct procedures.”
Cllr Plater, the Labour candidate, who is also a member of North Herts District Council, also offered reassurance.
In response to Q1, he said: “PACE Code C explicitly states a police officer carrying out a strip search must be the same sex as the detainee. I will hold Hertfordshire police to account to ensure they follow their legal duties as set out under statute.”
In response to Q2, he said: “I believe that victims of sexual assault and rape should have access to tailored support that each individual victim needs and wants, to support them through what is an extraordinarily difficult and stressful time. I also support single-sex spaces as defined under the Equality Act 2010.”
In response to Q3, he said: “When establishing a person’s record, the guidance from the College of Policing states that sex is a ‘desirable basic field to add to a person’s record’. Alongside this, the Home Office has asked police forces to ‘record the sex (of both the victims and the suspects) based on what was recorded on an individual’s birth certificate...’ As PCC for Hertfordshire, I will be holding the chief constable to account to make sure that guidance and best practice are followed and that we have excellence across our police service.”
He added: “I have a comprehensive plan to tackle VAWG as I believe it is a scourge to our society that must be at the top of our priority list.” His plan includes:
Putting specialist domestic abuse workers into our force communications room (FCR) to work alongside FCR staff to provide specialist support for victims at the point of crisis.
A review into vetting practices within Hertfordshire police, to make sure we are effectively stopping rogue officers from entering our police force and creating a safe working environment for women officers.
Lobbying for Hertfordshire police to receive enhanced police powers to charge domestic abuse suspects, where releasing them from custody would endanger the victim.
Tackling misogyny as the root cause of VAWG by lobbying the Government to tackle the business models of online platforms that promote harmful content, and work with schools across Hertfordshire to raise awareness of tackling misogyny.
Cllr Plater added: “If elected, I will appoint a woman as deputy PCC to make sure that women’s voices are heard at the top table of decision-making, not as a tokenistic gesture, but because I believe that we must have women’s experiences and voices in our decision-making across the Office of the PCC to properly hold our police force to account.
“But I cannot do this alone. I truly believe the only way we can police is co-operatively, and that means meeting, listening to and taking action on the issues that residents and communities across Hertfordshire are telling us matter to them.
“Increasing the PCC’s visibility and communication is an integral part of tackling VAWG in our county and I will work hard to do what I can to tackle VAWG across Hertfordshire.”
