A protest by Labour councillors has been staged outside the Conservative county council's headquarters to again call on crime commissioner Caroline Henry to resign. Conservative commissioner Mrs Henry, who holds the police to account, was sentenced after being caught speeding five times in the space of a few months.
She was hit with a hefty fine of £2,450, prosecution costs, a victim surcharge of £190, and 15 penalty points on her licence. And despite her lawyer arguing exceptional circumstances, due to her children's medical needs, she lost her licence and has been banned from the roads for six months.
Mrs Henry has spoken out after sentencing to add context to the offence. She says one of her children was sectioned at the time following an attempt to take their own life, and as such she was under "immense pressure" when caught. However calls remain for her resignation.
READ AGAIN: Nottinghamshire police boss 'truly sorry' as she is sentenced for speeding 5 times
At a meeting of the police and crime panel at Nottinghamshire County Council's County Hall on September 21 a protest was held to again repeat calls for her resignation. County Labour leader, Kate Foale, was at the demonstration.
She said: "I would like to echo the comments of the Nottinghamshire Police Federation, who have publicly stated that they believe PCC Henry should seriously consider her position. PCC Henry has lost all credibility in the role.
"The Police and Crime Commissioner is supposed to hold the police to account, and lead by example. How can someone who has been found to have consistently broken the law over a three month period fulfil that role with any integrity?
"Yet again, Conservative politicians seem to think that the rules don’t apply to them. The Labour Group believe that crime shouldn’t pay and we’re calling on PCC Caroline Henry to resign with immediate effect."
Mrs Henry says she is resolute she will not resign. At the time she had said: "This background went into the fact I was speeding," she adds. "I did not speed deliberately. I was in deep pain and distracted. I assure all I have taken stock of my situation and this will not happen again.
"I have reflected on the harm that is caused by speeding drivers and I will be doing all I can - both personally and professionally - to help make Nottinghamshire roads safer."
Responding to the protest outside County Hall Mrs Henry, the wife of Conservative Broxtowe MP Darren Henry, said she has been delivering. She says Nottinghamshire Police has delivered over and above its target of signing up 357 additional police officers through the national Operation Uplift, completing the recruitment process a year ahead of schedule.
She says her office has brought in £5.3m of the Home Office’s Safer Streets funding to Nottinghamshire during her time, with the area benefitting more from this scheme than any other police force area nationally.
She added: "With more police officers on the streets of Nottinghamshire than any time in the last decade and record levels of funding to make our streets safer, our plan to Make Notts Safe is firmly on the right track after the first year. Neighbourhood crime remains 30% lower than pre-pandemic levels as Nottinghamshire Police continues to take the fight to the criminals.
“Meanwhile we have secured millions of pounds of funding that will help third sector organisations around the county prevent violent crime and support victims of crime, including domestic and sexual abuse or violence. The main objectives of the Make Notts Safe plan are to prevent crime, respond efficiently and effectively to the needs of local people and to provide support for victims of crime.
"I’m sure the public will find the progress report on these aims incredibly reassuring.”
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