By Pamela McGowan

Last updated at 11:30, Thursday, 02 August 2012

The battle to become Cumbria’s Crime Commissioner is hotting up, with Labour candidate Patrick Leonard attacking his Tory rival over falling police numbers.

He challenged Conservative Richard Rhodes to defy his party after figures revealed 113 police have been lost from the county’s police force.

Mr Leonard, director of Riverside Housing Association and former chief executive of Allerdale Council, will go head-to-head with other candidates in the run-up to elections being held in November.

Setting out his stall, Mr Leonard said: “Richard Rhodes needs to be honest with the people of Cumbria. Will he oppose these shocking 20 per cent cuts and fight for more money from the Tory-led Government, or does he support the cuts of 113 officers already gone from our area?

“People will assume Richard Rhodes is simply a cheerleader for cutting our Cumbria police officers.

“Crime fell by 43 per cent with Labour according to the British Crime Survey. The same survey shows this progress has ground to a halt under the Tory-led Government during which time we now know they have cut nearly 10,000 officers.”

Mr Leonard, of Cockermouth, added: “We need real change to make our streets safer – prioritising neighbourhood policing, taking anti-social behaviour seriously, tackling causes of crime with police and local authorities working together, ensuring no “privatisation of core policing, and building strong communities with respect to all and responsibility by all.”

His rival Mr Rhodes, 70, a retired headteacher and former magistrate from south Cumbria, is favourite.

Other candidates include the deputy leader of Eden council Mary Robinson – an independent candidate who also represents Alston and East Fellside on Cumbria County Council.

The Liberal Democrats are likely to choose Pru Jupe, a South Lakeland councillor.

First published at 11:26, Thursday, 02 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk