Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Ben Adams officially marked the start of his second term in office today (Friday 10 May) as he took the oath to both services.
In a ceremony held at Staffordshire Police’s headquarters in Stafford, Mr Adams formally made the Declaration of Acceptance of Office in front of attendees including Chief Constable Chris Noble, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Michelle Hickmott and Appropriate Officer Andy O’Brien.
Mr Adams said: “I would like to thank everyone who voted for me in this election. It was a turnout of people who I believe are particularly interested in community safety in their neighbourhoods.
“I would also like to thank the Chief Constable and the Assistant Chief Fire Officer, as it has been a real pleasure to work alongside them over the last three years. There has been a step-change I think in both organisations and that came across strongly to me from talking to the public over the last few months. They really do appreciate what the services do.
“Both services have just had His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services in for a few weeks. My feeling is that the inspectors will recognise what I am seeing, which are two much-improved organisations. I am looking forward to their public reports in the summer which I think will demonstrate that to the wider public.
“In the next four years, I think there are opportunities for us to build on what we’ve achieved. We have more local, more responsive services than we had just three years ago. We have resilient response services in Police and Fire & Rescue, which have demonstrated their strength as demand increased. Response times are improving, as is the feedback we’re receiving from victims and those involved in accidents and emergencies.
“The next step is to build on that, through proactive work to tackle the issues, some of which have emerged since Covid, such as vehicle crime, rural crime, and those communities who have a shared interest such as retail shopworkers and shop owners who have seen their businesses impacted by shoplifting. I think we can do that by getting closer to those communities, engaging with them, and sharing what we’re doing together to help keep them safe.
“I’m also not letting up on road safety. We lost 45 people last year – that’s 45 families and friends who have lost a loved one. There has been tremendous progress in the last few months to identify and prosecute drink and drug drivers, and continue to tackle speeding on our roads. My team will support the services in that in any way we can.
“Another theme for me is involving the community more in what we’re doing. There are people who want to come together to help the services in doing their bit for their neighbourhoods, and I want to support them to do that. I’ll also be getting closer to councils and other agencies. They have duties around anti-social behaviour and other issues which impact our communities, and I think together we can do more to deal with those issues earlier, or prevent them from becoming a matter for our emergency services.
“I know everyone in the services cares passionately about Staffordshire, and are dedicated to keeping us all safe. My plan for the next four years is to do everything I can with my team to allow them to do just that.”
Mr Adams also took the opportunity to announce his Deputy Commissioner, Dave Evans, to help him deliver his plans. Mr Evans’ appointment will be confirmed at the earliest opportunity by the Police, Fire and Crime Panel.
Mr Evans is from Stoke-on-Trent and has lived there all his life. He has been a Stoke-on-Trent city councillor since 2015, holding positions including Chairman of Planning and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services between 2019 and 2023. He has also worked in the charity sector supporting young people. He believes that people deserve a chance in life, including making sure they have a safe place to live and thrive.
The role of the Staffordshire Commissioner is to be the voice of the people and hold the Police and Fire & Rescue services to account. They are responsible for commissioning effective support services for victims of crime and working with councils, health services, criminal justice and other authorities to help prevent crime, fires and accidents.
The Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer are responsible for the day-to-day operations, but are accountable to the public via the Commissioner.
