Donna Jones secures second term as Police & Crime Commissioner

Donna Jones has been re-elected as the PCC for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight following yesterday’s elections.

The Conservative, who was first elected to the role in 2021, won with a total of 175,953 votes.

During her first tenure as Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna delivered on a range of policing priorities including the launch of Local Bobbies with named and contactable police officers for every community across the two counties.

Other accomplishments included 650 more police officers, funding to reopen 10 more police stations and front counters, fixing the 101 call service with call waiting times now under four minutes, introducing a new Victims Hub, and commissioning more than £11M of victim and perpetrator support programmes to help make communities safer.

Donna’s professional background is in banking, and she was Leader of Portsmouth City Council from 2014 to 2018. She also served as a magistrate for 16 years.

Throughout the last 15 years, Donna has combined her experience in the private and public sectors to improve public services. As PCC, she represents over 250,000 businesses and is also on the board of the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce.

She is one of the four national police leaders working directly with the Home Office following her appointment in July 2023 as Chair of the National Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC).

Donna also sits on the National Policing Board (which is chaired by the Home Secretary), co-chairs the National Policing Strategic Partnership Board, and works with the Probation Service, prisons and the CPS.

Speaking after the election announcement, Donna said: “I’m extremely honoured to be re-elected. The hard work continues tomorrow. I am determined to recruit more police officers, to make sure that everyone who reports a crime gets feedback and that there is a comprehensive crackdown on shoplifting. I will carry on making sure that communities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are safer by making increased police visibility a priority, by taking more knives off the streets and providing focused support for victims.

“I will continue to listen to residents, families, businesses and neighbourhoods throughout the two counties, and I will act quickly and efficiently working with the Chief Constable because the public rightly deserve robust policing and swift justice. These are huge responsibilities and I’m looking forward to getting back to delivering for the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”

Donna’s pledges for her second term as PCC include 75 more police officers over the next 12 months, opening more police stations and front counters, cracking down on shoplifting and retail crime, delivering a Rural Crime Taskforce, investing in making our roads safer, reducing serious violence, and ensuring people reporting a crime get feedback.

PCCs are elected by the public to hold their local police force and Chief Constable to account. The first PCCs took up their roles in 2012.

Every PCC swears an oath of impartiality when they are elected to office, promising to serve all the people in their police force area.

Donna will take the oath of office next week on 8 May 2024 for her second term as the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner.