Graham bids to become police commissioner

Coun. Graham Roach, who has been a councillor for Waterside ward in Colne for almost eight years, has been chosen as the Lib Dem candidate to contest the election for Lancashire’s Police Commissioner on Thursday, May 5th.

Coun. Roach was the Mayor of Pendle last year and also stood as the Lib Dem candidate in the 2015 General Election.

He said: “I am delighted to have been chosen by my party and look forward to putting forward a distinctive Liberal view of the role of police commissioner.

“Since his election, Clive Grunshaw seems to have disappeared into his office.

“As commissioner, I will spend at least half of my time out and about meeting people and the police in all the different parts of Lancashire.”

Coun. Roach has launched his campaign with a four-point plan for a better deal for people in Lancashire, Blackburn and Darwen and Blackpool.

On local neighbourhood policing, he said: “It’s about local knowledge and an intelligence based approach to beating crime, not just walking the streets”.

Keeping Lancashire as a police force, Coun. Roach added: “Joining up with a larger and less efficient force in Manchester or Merseyside would just see us sidelined.”

On providing information to the public up to date, he said: “I will work with the Chief Constable to issue a weekly bulletin via social media, the local press and a range of local channels.”

And on fighting for resources, Coun. Roach added: “Lancashire is being starved of what it needs to police the county properly.

“As commissioner I will lead the campaign via all parties and none for more resources from Government.”

Coun. Roach works for a global company which builds and designs pharmaceutical and chemical plants.