Deneice Florence-Jukes – Independent PFCC Candidate 2021

Below is the candidate profile for Deneice Florence-Jukes, an independent candidate for the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner election.

This profile has been added to our Candidate Profiles page on our 2021 election hub – click here to see more candidate profiles.

Answers to the questions aren’t edited, other than for formating, and are therefore the candidates own words.

In your own words tell our readers about yourself

I was born and raised in Burton on Trent and have a deep affection not only for my hometown but for the County of Staffordshire. I returned home to raise my own family having previously lived in various parts of the U.K during my careers. I possess a very strong sense of public duty having chosen to have two public sector careers, spanning three decades. The first was in our Royal Air Force and the second in the Metropolitan Police Service. I am also an elected Independent Councillor to East Staffordshire Borough Council. I have a strong commitment to serving our community and want what’s best for all of us.

What’s your personal statement about why you’re standing and what you want to achieve over the term if elected?

Politics needs to be kept out of policing, that’s why I’m standing to be your Independent Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. A Commissioner is the voice of the people, not a voice controlled by a political party. More and more we are witnessing our police becoming politicised. When officers join the service, they swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen, not to the Prime Minister or to a political party. As the only independent candidate standing in this election, I stand to represent you, not to push forward the views and ideology of a political party. I will ensure Staffordshire Police and Fire services stay free of any party political influence and that they serve you, the public.

As a former police officer, I know how crime can damage communities and destroy people’s lives. You deserve to feel safe and protected in your own homes and on the streets.

My priorities as Commissioner include:

• Focusing on crime prevention and driving down crime but I also want to ensure that should anyone of you become the victim of crime you get a speedy response, a proper investigation into the offences committed against you and satisfaction knowing your offender is brought to justice. I know many of you feel you get a raw deal from a service you’re paying for; I want to change that.
• Fighting for an increased funding deal to invest in frontline policing by putting more warranted police officers on our streets to fight crime and keep our communities safe. Due to government funding cuts, Staffordshire police has lost nearly 600 officers in the past decade, this is in addition to the loss of many civilian support staff. This has had a devastating impact on the services ability to keep the people of Staffordshire safe. I will fight for a much greater share of the promised 20,000 new police officers announced by government and for an increase to the Home Office’s annual grant for Staffordshire.
• Adopting a clear strategy to tackle serious and violent crimes. Focusing on burglary, knife crime, county lines drug dealing, protecting women and victims of domestic abuse and protecting the elderly and vulnerable against fraud and cybercrime.
• Making the victims of crime a priority by ensuring they get the services and support they need through the commissioning of local services tailored to help victims of crime, ensuring they are supported throughout the criminal justice process and have access to the support services that they need to help them cope and recover. I will do this by working in close partnership with other stakeholders, such as local authorities, health services, specialist third sector organisations and charities.
• Ordering a review on the merger of police and fire services to ensure it is working effectively and isn’t disadvantaging the Fire and Rescue Service. In 2018, the PCC became responsible for the governance of the fire and rescue services within Staffordshire. It followed the PCC’s submission of a business case to the home secretary to take over governance in line with the government’s own drive to integrate blue light emergency services. I want to make sure the merger is working effectively and to the benefit of the residents of Staffordshire and to the Fire and Rescue Service itself. If I’m not convinced then it will be reviewed.

How does standing as a political party candidate affect serving local people on local issues?

 I’m not standing on behalf of any political party; I’m standing as an Independent. I firmly believe that the role of Commissioner should not be a political post. A Commissioner is the voice of the people, there to represent the people, not to represent a political party and drive through political ideology. People need to know they can trust me to act in their interests and not in the interests of a political party.

What’s been your history as a political councillor?

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I am an elected Independent Councillor to East Staffordshire Borough Council.

Apart from family commitments what other commitments do you have on your time? This could be work, business, voluntary or community roles – if these are linked to organisations in Stone then please mention it.

Since retirement from my last full time career, I have sought to continue to make a contribution to public life and serve the community. I am an elected Councillor, a school governor, a trustee to a charity and on the management committee of a community centre, all in the Burton on Trent area.

What are the top 5 issues that you think affect the residents of Stone currently have?

In terms of crime, Stone is reflective of many other areas within Staffordshire. I am aware the area has experienced more recent incidents of arson, drug dealing, burglaries and anti-social behaviour, such as vandalism. This, understandably, is deeply unsettling for residents and businesses particularly as there appears to be a spike in incidents. I reiterate that people need to feel safe in their homes and when out on the streets and this is at the heart of my strategy for instigating change. My personal statement details how I will go about achieving my objectives.

Explain in your own words what the role of the PFCC is and why it’s important.

There are statutory responsibilities for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner which I have detailed further along and clearly these responsibilities must be complied with. But speaking of how I personally see the role, I consider it to be of huge significance to the people of Stone and Staffordshire. The Commissioner is the driving force behind what service the people of Stone can expect from their Police and Fire Services. That is why it needs to be free from any political influence. I will have the responsibility of holding the Police and the Fire and Rescue Services to account on behalf of all residents and I will do so freely and without any political persuasion.

Under the terms of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, PCCs must:

• secure an efficient and effective police for their area;
• appoint the Chief Constable, hold them to account for running the force, and if necessary dismiss them;
• set the police and crime objectives for their area through a police and crime plan;
• set the force budget and determine the precept;
• contribute to the national and international policing capabilities set out by the Home Secretary; and
• bring together community safety and criminal justice partners, to make sure local priorities are joined up.

Fire Governance

The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced opportunities for PCCs to take on responsibility for fire and rescue governance. Under the legislation PCCs can, join their local Fire and Rescue Authority, alternatively PCCs can consult the public and submit a business case to the Home Secretary seeking to replace the Fire and Rescue Authority in their area. This option formally creates a Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC).

PFCCs are responsible for:

• putting in place arrangements to deliver an efficient and effective fire and rescue service;
• setting the fire and rescue objectives for their area through a fire and rescue plan;
• appointing the Chief Fire Officer, hold them to account for delivery of objectives, and if necessary dismiss them; and
• setting the service budget and determine the precept.