Candidate promises to keep police force free of politics

Father-of-four Ron Ball this week quit his job as a cargo pilot because he wants to dedicate all his efforts into running for the new role, which comes into effect this November.

The 62-year-old, who lives in Bidford-on-Avon, believes people will vote for him because he says he will make sure politics does not become a part of policing the county.

He said: “Party politics and policing should be as far removed from each other as possible, but the Government is bringing the two together.

“I have been stopping people in cafes to ask them if they know anything about this process. The majority of them don’t and when they do, they don’t like the fact that party politics is being introduced to policing.”

Although Mr Ball has no experience of working with the police, he has been a magistrate in Stratford and has been a national executive in the pilots’ union, the British Airline Pilots’ Association, when he worked for British Airways.

He said: “One of the things I am really good at is working with people. This role is going to require the ability to work with the police and crime panel, the chief constable and the professional staff working for the police authority.

“I am confident that I will be able to work with those people constructively.”

During the run-up to the election, Mr Ball is planning to carry out detailed research into what the future of policing may require - and as such, is not yet prepared to make any promises as to what, if elected, he would do.

He said: “The role of the commissioner will be to fight hard for funds from central government, but we have to live in the real world.

“There will have to be a real focus on doing things smarter.

“I am now investigating how this might be done.”