Olly Martins

Olly Martins
In office
15 November 2012 – 6 May 2016
Preceded by Office created
Succeeded by Kathryn Holloway
Personal details
Born 17 December 1969
Cambridge
Political party Labour Co-op
Residence Luton
Education Flegg High School
Alma mater University of Liverpool
Website http://www.ollymartins.org

Oliver James Martins (born 17 December 1969 in Cambridge) was the former Labour and Co-operative Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner.

He was the first person to hold the post and was elected on 15 November 2012.[1] and took the Oath of office live on air at a local BBC radio station. On taking office, he pledged that his office and staff would be less expensive than the old police authority. According to the Taxpayers' Alliance he was in the third lowest commissioner in the country for costs.[2] He does not claim business miles for any road journeys he undertakes as part of his role.[3]

Martins lives in the High Town area of Luton, Bedfordshire. Martins spent eight years working for Victim Support in the Toxteth area of Liverpool, first as a volunteer while at University and then as a service co-ordinator. He is a serving member in the Territorial Army and was mobilised as a United Nations peacekeeper to Cyprus UNFICYP in 2011.[4]

Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire

Martins was opposed to plans to outsource police services to G4S.[5] On 29 January 2013 it was announced that the G4S plan involving three police force, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire had been scrapped.[6]

Martins reversed the planned scrapping of half the PCSOs in Bedfordshire.[7][8][9]

The BBC Politics Show East described him as by far the most radical Police Commissioner in the region.[10] He is calling for persistent offenders to be fitted with GPS tags on a compulsory basis so they can be tracked in real time.[11][12][13][14][15]

In May 2013 Martins appointed Colette Paul as the new Chief Constable of Bedfordshire.[16] Paul was previously Deputy Chief Constable of South Wales Police.[17][18] She has said about the Commissioner, "Olly Martins is committed to improving policing, as am I, so we have a good working relationship already." [19] She announced her early retirement in June 2015 and said, "I consider Bedfordshire fortunate to have the PCC, Olly Martins, who is committed to ensuring the best possible future for the force." [20] On 26 August Martins appointed the Deputy Chief Constable, Jon Boutcher, as the new Chief Constable.[21]

Martins is aiming to double the number of Special Constables in the Bedfordshire Police force.[22][23] The roll-out of Body Worn Video (BWV) cameras for officers and PCSOs started in June 2013.[24] Public panels scrutinise the stop and search paperwork and video footage from police officers.[25] He is introducing high-tech tablet devices for Police officers as part as part of a drive to get them spending more time on the streets.[26] In 2014 Bedfordshire Police allowed The Garden Productions to make 24 Hours In Police Custody.a series for Channel 4 with hidden cameras in Luton Police station. The series received rave reviews.[27][28][29][30][31]

In January 2015 Martins announced plans to consult the public whether they would be prepared to pay 16% extra on the police precept to fund 100 more police officers across Bedfordshire.[32][33][34][35]

On 5 February, Martins announced that he would hold the first ever police precept referendum in the country. The Bedfordshire-wide referendum took place on 7 May, the same day as the UK general election.[36] Martins' proposed precept was rejected by 69.5% to 30.5%. In a statement Martins said."It is therefore now incumbent upon the government to take notice of our unique circumstances in Bedfordshire and to ensure that this police force has the resources it needs not just to keep this county safe but to play its proper role in keeping the country safe.".[37] In October 2015, Martins launched a Save Our Police campaign linked to a government petition calling for better funding for Bedfordshire Police.[38][39]

In November 2015, Martins gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee and warned of the Bedfordshire Police funding crisis. The Daily Mirror said of his appearance at the select committee, "Mr Martins has been one of Britain's most outspoken police commissioners as George Osborne tells the Home Office to prepare for cuts of up to 40%".[40] In the 2015 Autumn Statement the Chancellor did not make the expected cuts to the policing budget. However Martins continued to make the case for a better funding deal for his police force.[41][42]

He was cleared by the CPS [43] after an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission for releasing sensitive information regarding a death in police custody.[44]

He is a patron of LGBT Labour.[45]

The result

Candidate Name Party First Preference Votes First Preference % Second Preference Votes Total Votes Total %
Olly Martins Labour Co-op 27,947 34% 3,332 35,958 52.83%
Jas Parmar Conservative 26,226 31.9% 1,629 32,100 47.17%
Linda Jack Liberal Democrat 11,205 13.6% N/A 11,205 N/A
Mez Rashid Independent 8,076 9.8% N/A 8,076 N/A
Kevin Carroll British Freedom Party 8,675 10.5% N/A 8,675 N/A

The far-right British Freedom Party is now defunct.

Honours and decorations

United Nations Medal
United Nations Medal for Cyprus

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Olly Martins wins Bedfordshire PCC elections". Bedfordshire News.
  2. ↑ Harry Fairhead. "Police and Crime Commissioners". TaxPayers' Alliance.
  3. ↑ "About Your Commissioner".
  4. ↑ "About Olly". ollymartins.org.
  5. ↑ "Bedfordshire Tories criticise Nadine Dorries MP as Labour wins". BBC News.
  6. ↑ "G4S outsourcing deal with police forces collapses". BBC News.
  7. ↑ "Olly promises to save PCSOs". lutontoday.co.uk.
  8. ↑ "Police Community Support Officers Saved". Heart Bedford. 5 February 2013.
  9. ↑ "PCC to learn from victim experience". Luton on Sunday.
  10. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01qy59p/?t=38m03s
  11. ↑ "Bedfordshire PCC calls for compulsory tags for criminals". BBC News.
  12. ↑ "Olly rallies the troops in call for GPS tagging". Bedfordshire News.
  13. ↑ "Britain’s young sheriffs are growing up fast". Telegraph.co.uk. 14 May 2013.
  14. ↑ Brian Brady (9 May 2013). "PCCs lead calls for satellite tags on offenders". The Independent.
  15. ↑ "PCC Olly Martins renews his appeal for compulsory tagging". Luton on Sunday.
  16. ↑ "Colette Paul named as new Bedfordshire Police chief". BBC News.
  17. ↑ "BBC News - New deputy chief constable named". bbc.co.uk.
  18. ↑ "New Chief Constable Colette Paul officially joins Bedfordshire Police". Bedfordshire News.
  19. ↑ "Greater openness and fewer crimes". Luton on Sunday.
  20. ↑ "Bedfordshire Chief Constable Colette Paul's early retirement timing 'unexpected'". BBC News.
  21. ↑ http://www.bedfordshire.pcc.police.uk/jon-boutcher-proposed-as-bedfordshires-new-chief-constable
  22. ↑ "PCC pledge to double the number of Special Constables working for Bedfordshire Police". Bedfordshire News.
  23. ↑ "Information night on how to become a special constable with Bedfordshire Police". Bedfordshire News.
  24. ↑ http://www.bedfordshire.pcc.police.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/160-Body-worn-video-bid-win.pdf
  25. ↑ "Crime Commissioner praises force for being open and transparent". bedfordtoday.co.uk.
  26. ↑ "More Bedfordshire Police bobbies now on the hi-tech beat". Luton on Sunday.
  27. ↑ Sam Wollaston. "24 Hours in Police Custody review – even better than 24 Hours in A&E". the Guardian.
  28. ↑ "PREVIEW: 24 Hours in Police Custody episode focuses on forced marriages in Luton". Bedfordshire News.
  29. ↑ Tufayel Ahmed (20 October 2014). "24 Hours in Police Custody tackles drugs with two very different approaches". mirror.
  30. ↑ "24 Hours in Police Custody, Channel 4". theartsdesk.com.
  31. ↑ "24 Hours in Police Custody, Channel 4 - TV review". The Independent.
  32. ↑ "Bedfordshire PCC Olly Martins to ask public for more funds". BBC News.
  33. ↑ "Martins calls for 16% council tax rise to pay for more police officers". ITV News.
  34. ↑ "Commissioner says public support 15.85% tax rise". leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk.
  35. ↑ "PCC: Tax hike would put 25 extra officers on Luton beat". lutontoday.co.uk.
  36. ↑ "Police Professional :: News". policeprofessional.com.
  37. ↑ "Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner – PRESS STATEMENT FROM OLLY MARTINS AFTER THE RESULT OF BEDFORDSHIRE’S REFERENDUM". pcc.police.uk.
  38. ↑ "home".
  39. ↑ http://www.luton-dunstable.co.uk/Olly-Martins-appeal-support-police-funding/story-28084291-detail/story.html
  40. ↑ Dan Bloom (4 November 2015). "Tory cuts force police boss to consider turning on speed cameras full time to raise cash". mirror.
  41. ↑ "Police commissioner determined to increase force funding despite Chancellor’s u-turn on budget cuts".
  42. ↑ "Police commissioner determined to increase force funding despite Chancellor’s u-turn on budget cuts".
  43. ↑ James Scott. "Bedfordshire PCC Olly Martins faces no criminal charges following investigation". The Comet.
  44. ↑ "Bedfordshire PCC Olly Martins to be investigated by police watchdog". BBC News.
  45. ↑ "Patrons". LGBT Labour.
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