A NEW police and crime commissioner for Gwent will be elected this week.

Voters will go to the polls on Thursday to vote for Gwent's PCC whose role it is to ensure Gwent Police answers to the community.

The police and crime commissioner is elected every four years and is responsible for holding the chief constable to account, setting the police and crime priorities for their area, setting the police force budget and regularly engaging with the public and communities.

The PCC’s duties and responsibilities include working with other organisations in community safety, crime, drugs, health and criminal justice to prevent crime and re-offending.

The commissioner also appoints or can dismiss the chief constable, works with victims of crime, commissions services and award grants.

He or she must also manage the buildings, land and assets the police own.

One of their main roles is to track how well Gwent Police is performing and meeting the set priorities. Each year the commissioner has to report on what they have achieved to the local police and crime panel who scrutinises them.

The Gwent Police and Crime Panel is made up of 12 elected members nominated by each local authority in Gwent and also at least two independent members.

Ian Johnston, pictured below, who was elected at the first round of PCC elections in 2012, was the first person to hold the independent post in Gwent but is not standing for re-election.

South Wales Argus: WINNER: Ian Johnston, who was today elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent

This year the three candidates are all affiliated with political parties but are required to swear an oath of impartiality.

The PCC system came into existence in 2012 replacing police authorities.

The current salary for the role of PCC is £70,000 a year.

The PCC elections differ from the assembly elections as the supplementary vote (SV)system is used.

Under the SV system, every voter has a first and second choice vote. If a candidate receives more than 50 per cent of all the first-choice votes they are elected immediately.

But if no candidate gets above the threshold in the first round, the two candidates with the most first-choice votes go into a second round. All other candidates are eliminated and second-choice votes for the remaining two are distributed.

The candidate with the highest combined total of first and second choice votes is elected.

Voting will take place on Thursday but votes will not be counted until Sunday, May 8.

Changes to the role of the PCC are currently being considered with the Policing and Crime Bill which is making its way through Parliament. This includes PCC taking on the responsibility for fire and rescue services but this will not affect PCC's in Wales as fire and rescue services is devolved.

Your candidates

Louise Brown, Welsh Conservatives

South Wales Argus:

"I have considerable experience in policing, law and public service as a former councillor, solicitor and police advisor, with the necessary skills to make me an effective PCC.

My aims: • Ensure Gwent is a safer place to live and work.

• Care about the community and be a strong voice for the public to ensure that public concerns are acted upon to meet local policing need in both urban and rural areas.

• Champion local community policing with a strong visible presence on the streets by increasing the numbers of Special Constables.

• Enhance the most important relationship- between the police and public.

• Put the needs of victims at the heart of the system, including vulnerable people and encourage restorative justice.

• Ensure Gwent Police provides a high quality, value for money, efficient, effective and accountable service for the public.

• Advocate innovation, early intervention and best practice solutions to cut crime and reoffending.

• Work with the police in partnership with local residents, other agencies (both statutory and faith/voluntary) to prevent crime and re-offending, to tackle anti-social behaviour, drugs and alcohol abuse, so that you feel and are safer on the streets and in your homes."

Jeff Cuthbert, Welsh Labour

South Wales Argus:

"For the last 13 years I've been the Assembly Member for Caerphilly. This includes three and a half years as a member of the Welsh Government.

First as the Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology and then as the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty.

Policing must be viewed as a true public service based on our key principles of fairness and social justice. My priorities for policing in Gwent are: • As visible a presence on our streets as possible to provide reassurance as well as deal with the effects of crime.

• Ensuring that crimes such as domestic abuse, hate crime, child exploitation, and modern slavery are given proper attention.

• Developing and maintaining good community cohesion. This is especially important for vulnerable sections of our communities such as the BME and faith communities.

• Working with the Welsh Government in terms of the devolved public services and on practical issues of support such as the provision of the additional Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) for Gwent.

• Playing its part in counter terrorism activities.

All of this must be worked for in the face of major cuts to the police budget, by the Tory UK Government, over the last five years."

Darren Jones, Plaid Cymru

South Wales Argus:

"I firmly believe that every citizen of Gwent should be free not only from the fear of crime, but also free from the devastating effects of the trauma of crime.

In my twenties I served on Caerffili council for six years; four of those as cabinet member responsible for public protection. At 29, I moved away from full-time council politics and for the last thirteen years, I have worked within some of the most deprived communities of south Wales, helping local people tackle social isolation, reduce fear of crime, gain new skills and helped over 600 people back into work.

As Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, my single priority will be: improving Gwent Police’s ability to respond to and prevent crime.

I will achieve this by improving use of police time towards ‘front-line duties’ Implementing a new Gwent Victim’s Charter.

Increasing public confidence in Gwent Police by exploring innovative ways to share community buildings, developing a new volunteer custody visit scheme and an annual merit awards for serving officers/staff.

Tackling offending/re-offending by supporting young people at risk of engaging/re-engaging in criminal activity through employment mentoring and engaging ages 25 plus who following prison re-settle within Gwent via meaningful 121 employment programmes."