THE public goes to the polls today (Thursday) to decide who will become the first police and crime commissioners for both Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Polling stations opened at 7am and those on the electoral register haves until 10pm tonight to cast their votes.
Currently Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire police forces are scrutinised by individual police authorities but these will be abolished with the new police and crime commissioner for each county taking over the role.
The police and crime commissioner will have the power to hire and fire the chief constable, set the force’s budget and council tax precept, and develop a police and crime plan.
Whoever is selected for the position, which comes with an annual salary of about �75,000, will be directly accountable to the electorate and have a fixed four-year term of office.
Four candidates are standing in Hertfordshire – David Lloyd for the Conservatives, Sherma Batson for Labour, Christopher Townsend for the Liberal Democrats and Marion Mason for UKIP.
In Bedfordshire, five candidates will go head to head – Jas Parmar for the Conservatives, Kevin Carroll for the British Freedom Party, Olly Martins for Labour, Linda Jack for the Liberal Democrats and independent Mezanur Rashid.
The results will be posted on our website tomorrow afternoon.
*Three by-elections are also being held today to determine who will represent the wards of Letchworth South-East and Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo for North Herts District Council and Silsoe and Shillington for Central Beds Council.
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