“I’m very pleased people have put their trust in me again” says Dr Alan Billings after re-election as South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner

Dr Alan Billings the Labour PCC for the region, said he is “very pleased that people have put their trust in me again”, following the announcement of the election results at Barnsley’s Metrodome today (May 10).

Dr Billings was first elected to the role in 2014, and kept his seat following a 2016 by-election.

He will now serve the region for another three years – reduced from four years to take into account the fact that the election was delayed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Not only did Dr Billings win on the first preference vote – he increased his majority from 50 to 54 per cent.

Pipping his challengers – Conservative candidate David Chinchen and Lib Dem candidate Joe Otten to the post – Dr Billings said the victory is “gratifying”.

He vowed to prioritise anti-social behaviour, organised crime, illegal biking, fly-tipping and road safety over the next three years.

“Over the last five years South Yorkshire Police has moved from being a low performing to a top performing force and one that is held up as an example to others,” he added.

“The size of the victory for the Labour Party is truly astonishing, given what’s happened in other parts of the country.

“This is the best result I’ve had as a Police and Crime Commissioner, so it does show that the Labour Party when it puts its mind toward it, can win votes here in South Yorkshire.”

Dr Billings has bucked the trend here in South Yorkshire, as Labour lost their PCCs to the Conservaties this weekend in neighbouring Humberside, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Mr Otten, who is a councillor for Dore and Totley in Sheffield, said “Labour was always going to dominate” the vote, but he was pleased to increase his share of the votes from 10 to 14 per cent.

“It’s been a good contest, I pay tribute to the other candidates and I still expect to be a member of the police and crime panel.

“One of the issues I picked up [during the campaign] was a push for designing public spaces to be made safer. As a local councillor, I’m going to take this up.”

Mr Chinchen, a retired Met Police officer who served with the force for 30 years, said he is “disappointed with the outcome”.

He told the local democracy reporting service: “I’m more disappointed, actually, for all the people that I was committed to and wouldn’t let down. And I just feel I’ve let them down.”

He added that he “hasn’t git great ambitions for a political career”, adding that he would be happy to volunteer with the force.

“The key issue for me is that the force is not addressing crime in the entirity. It’s not responding to reports of crime, and it’s certainly not doing enough in terms of isolated and rural communities.”