TONY Hogg, the former commanding officer at RNAS Culdrose, has been voted in as Devon and Cornwall’s first police and crime commissioner.

For The Skipper's view and what the public said:

The Packet asks the public: Police Commissioner election a 'terrible waste of money'

The Skipper: 'As democratically legitimate as a turnip'

Mr Hogg, who also spent five years as chief executive at BF Adventure at Halvasso, was elected after second preference votes were taken into account in last Thursday’s election.

The vote saw just 15 per cent of eligible voters casting their ballots – the lowest ever turnout for an election in the South West.

Mr Hogg’s 55,257 first choice votes meant that just one in 24 voters across the region directly supported him at the ballot box.

The second placed candidate, Brian Greenslade (Independent), polled 24,719 votes. After second preference choices were taken into account, Mr Hogg received 69,419 votes compared to Mr Greenslade’s 37,243.

Mr Hogg said: “I am greatly honoured to be elected as Devon and Cornwall’s first Police and Crime Commissioner.

“I genuinely believe in this pioneering role and look forward to the challenge.

“This position has been established to give people a voice in deciding their policing priorities, and I will be listening.

“For the first time residents can hold someone directly to account at the ballot box for the way in which their community is policed. Whatever your views on the election or turnout, I am committed to serving everyone in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

“This is an exciting opportunity for everyone to get behind this new role, to get involved to help shape future priorities and work together to make a real difference.

“I’m here to get on with business and work hard. People will expect me to work closely with the Chief Constable to get things done and that’s exactly what I plan to do by helping people feel more connected and engaged with the police and crime plan.

“People want value for money while maintaining safety and I will do everything within the powers I have been given to ensure the resources are there to do the job and meet priorities. The task in hand is not something that can be achieved overnight.

“It will take time to review areas for improvement and I will be listening carefully to ensure that the issues that matter most to people are dealt with.

“Let’s not forget that Devon and Cornwall has one of the lowest crime rates in the country and our police force at all levels, deserve a great deal of credit for the hard work they do. We can be proud of our police force and together we can make it even better.

“It’s important to stress that there is a difficult road ahead and some tough decisions will have to be made. These are challenging times and I want to support the police through them.

“We all want effective and efficient policing across Devon and Cornwall – and we must have police patrolling our streets.

“There are different challenges in our urban and rural communities, but I will be standing up for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to ensure the best possible support from central government. I can assure you I will do what’s best for our local residents.”

The Packet asks the public: Police Commissioner election a 'terrible waste of money'

The Skipper: 'As democratically legitimate as a turnip'