LABOUR’S Simon Foster has been re-elected as the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.
He won by 327,844 votes while his conservatice rival, Tom Byrne, received 86,017 votes.
The turnout was 29.5 per cent of the region’s voting population.
The election was a two-horse race and was based on the first-past-the-post voting system, meaning whoever secured the most votes, wins.
Mr Foster, said: “I thank each and every single one of the people who have placed their faith and trust in me, by voting to re-elect me as their Police and Crime Commissioner.
“I fought and won a court battle, all the way to the Court of Appeal, so that the people of the West Midlands could decide for themselves who they wanted to represent them as their Police and Crime Commissioner.
“The people have made that decision and I now re-dedicate myself to representing the people of the West Midlands, holding West Midlands Police to account and continuing to rebuild community policing.
“My top priority will always be preventing, tackling and reducing crime – and justice, safety and security for all of the people and communities of the West Midlands.”
The Police and Crime Commissioner is responsible for hiring and firing the Chief Constable, setting the force priorities, setting the budget, supporting victims of crime, preventing offending and approving major spending decisions.
The PCC represents the three million people of the West Midlands, from Coventry in the east to Wolverhampton in the West.
