New Cheshire police and crime commissioner announced

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John Dwyer has today (Saturday 8 May 2021) been elected as Cheshire's police and crime commissioner.

The Conservative candidate collected 111,962 votes compared to the second candidate, incumbent David Keane (Labour), who achieved 99,463 votes after first and second preferences were declared.

After the first preference count only, John Dwyer (CON) was in front on 99,565 votes (44.5%), followed by David Keane (LAB) with 83,329 votes (37.3%), Jo Conchie (LIB) with 32,348 votes (14.5%) and Nick Goulding (REF) with 8,258 votes (3.7%).

Turn-out was up across Cheshire at 27% in total compared to 23.85% at the last PCC elections in 2016.

It was highest in Warrington at 35.02%, second highest in Halton at 26.4%, then Cheshire East at 25.32% and lowest in Cheshire West and Chester at 25.03%.

The role of the police and crime commissioner is to hold the chief constable to account on behalf of Cheshire residents, set the police budget and commission services for victims of crime.

John Dwyer has been married to his wife Zena for 41 years. He retired as Assistant Chief Constable in Cheshire after a 30 year career which started in Nottinghamshire, followed by a transfer to the West Midlands as a Chief Inspector and finally to Cheshire as ACC.

He was the first police and crime commissioner for Cheshire from 2012 to 2016, when he lost out narrowly to David Keane.

After the announcement today, John, said: "I am delighted to have been returned as the police and crime commissioner for Cheshire and I want to thank the voters in Cheshire for supporting me."

John will officially take-up the post when the new term starts on Thursday 13 May 2021.

Chief constable Mark Roberts said: "I'd like to congratulate John Dwyer on his election to the post of police and crime commissioner.

"I know John from when he previously held this role and now look forward to working with him again to ensure we continue to prevent crime, support victims and protect vulnerable people across Cheshire.

"We will work together on a police and crime plan which deals with the issues that most affect our communities and ensures Cheshire is a safe place for the public and a bad place to be a criminal."

Tags:
2021 Police & Crime Commissioner Election, John Dwyer
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

David Hoyle
Saturday 8th May 2021 at 10:04 pm
Do we really need a Police and Crime Commissioner.How much a year does it cost to employ him and his staff. What was wrong with the old system of when a cross section of the County Councillors were involved in overseeing the police.
Pete Taylor
Sunday 9th May 2021 at 7:23 pm
@David Hoyle, in answer to your questions:

No.
Too much.
Nothing.
Gemma Evans
Monday 10th May 2021 at 10:35 am
Theresa May introduced the elected position because there was a lack of public trust in the police. However, I don't see how electing a retired assistant chief constable from Cheshire Police (John Dwyer) does anything to restore public trust in the police, as electing someone from Cheshire Police's inner circle seems to defeat the point of the position.
Nick Jones
Monday 10th May 2021 at 4:07 pm
Gemma, Deposed David Keane increased the policing precept year on year, cost taxpayers more and delivered less He employed his cronies Dirir and others,reopened a losed down police station and filled it with staff, at additional cost.. then created a deputy role and more staff positions. He failed to address the parking issue in Wilmslow , ( see many previous threads) spent a fortune of our local taxes in legal fees in a flawed 'lost before it started' attempt to prosecute Simon Byrne. and more .. I could go on... but theres no point as the voters at the ballot box decided enough was enough with Keane. Whilst this doesnt need to be a politically affiliated post IMHO it does need someone experienced in dealing with your local law enforcers and JD has those prerequisites. Im sure if you have an issue he will respond to your concern, which is more than the previous incumbent did to myself and many others. Only time will tell.
Gemma Evans
Monday 10th May 2021 at 4:51 pm
Nick Jones, you seem to under the impression I'm a David Keane supporter. Like 32,347 other voters in Cheshire I voted for Jo Conchie as first choice candidate. Dwyer and Keane were both weak candidates as both performed badly as PCC during previous terms so I'm bemused why 183,000 voters voted for one of those two as their first choice.

It was actually John Dwyer who created a deputy position but Dwyer made it a part time position so he could employ a 'youth ambassador' on £25k. That was a controversial decision as another PCC had trialed a youth role and it hadn't worked.

On the other hand Keane made deputy a full time position. Offering the role to Sareda Dirir was a controversial decision but she left after a year and Keane decided to have a 'Chief of Staff' instead of a deputy following her departure. I hope you're not counting those two roles as roles that existed concurrently.

I've read the other threads which have confirmed the parking issues you're referring to have been the responsibility of Cheshire East Council since 2009, they were never anything to do with David Keane or John Dwyer. It seems you want to blame a Labour politician for no reason at all.
Nick Jones
Monday 10th May 2021 at 5:40 pm
Not bothered who you voted for.. your business.. and the policing precept didn't jump up year on year by itself..
Mark Goldsmith
Monday 10th May 2021 at 11:03 pm
Just to clarify Cheshire East only has legal powers to enforce parking restrictions where a specific Traffic Regulation Order is in place eg yellow lines.

It does not have powers to enforce more general parking issues such as pavement parking, blocked driveways or dangerous parking at road junctions. These offences are Cheshire Constabulary’s responsibility to enforce.

Cllr Mark Goldsmith
Wilmslow West & Chorley
Cheshire East & Wilmslow Town Council
Gemma Evans
Tuesday 11th May 2021 at 2:34 pm
Nick Jones - It's obvious you thought I was a Labour/Keane supporter from your earlier post given you were lecturing me on the faults you could find with Keane and now that I have now told you I actually voted for someone else who you can't find fault with you don't want to continue the discussion.

Mark Goldsmith - There's currently no legislation to stop parking on the pavements except in London. The government recently consulted on changing that but the police can't do anything until Boris' government act on it.

The bit about parking near junctions is a 'do not' not a 'must not' in the Highway Code, so the police can't issue a fine just for parking too close to a junction. If there's an issue at a specific junction I would think the solution is for the council to look at putting yellow lines down. The council did consult on use of yellow lines on roads like Chapel Lane and Gravel Lane, which are roads they specify the 88 bus must run along, which I think is why someone else said the issues being discussed relate to the council not the police.
Nick Jones
Tuesday 11th May 2021 at 6:05 pm
Existentialism and autonomy can be strange bedfellows.
Simon Worthington
Wednesday 12th May 2021 at 1:48 pm
A very simple answer to this unwanted tax payers trough for those who just can't keep their noses out would be to insist on at least 50% turnout or the lot is scrapped. The nonsense about holding the Chief Consatble to account apparently does not apply to potential criminal acts/misfeasance in public office committed by serving police officers.
Sure proves that a blue rosette would get anything elected these days!!!
Robert Stewart
Wednesday 12th May 2021 at 2:09 pm
Wow! Obviously some people care. Looks like I share the general apathy of the 75% who didn't vote.
John Harries
Wednesday 12th May 2021 at 5:03 pm
Alas we are now stuck with P&CC’s. Appointing a policeman to monitor a policeman doesn’t seem to work for me either but I suppose removing the incumbent will bring about some changes - what those changes might be is the big question.
A small point on something that does blight us all - fly parking and parking on pavements. Gemma Evans may be right in one sense but logically incorrect - parking on a pavement in not an offence but driving on one is. I know cars have plenty of gadgets but levitation devices are not yet an optional extra so any vehicle found parked on/over a pavement must have been driven onto it in the first place; given the will/direction from above our Cheshire Police officers and PCSO’s can and should book these public nuisance inconsiderate serial offenders. Parking close to junctions (think is was within 25 feet) was an offence but removed from the RTA’s about 15 years back mainly due to pressure on London traffic/space; local restriction markings (yellow or even red lines) and/or signs will mean that miscreants can be booked - but again it takes some will, direction (and locally allocated dosh) to get it done.
James MacDonald
Wednesday 12th May 2021 at 8:31 pm
Well said Nick, If there were 2 boxes, one for David Keane and one for anyone else, it is box anyone else.

John is absolutely correct. There are 2 laws making it illegal to drive on the pavement except for emergencies or to access a property. Just because hundreds of thousands of motorists ignore this and police ignore this doesn’t make it legal.