Mark Shelford | |
|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner | |
| Assumed office 13 May 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Sue Mountstevens |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Website | www |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1981–2013[1] |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards[2] |
| Battles/wars | Gulf War Northern Ireland Afghanistan |
Mark Grosvenor McNeill Shelford is a British Conservative politician and former lieutenant colonel in the British Army, who has served as the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner since 2021.[3]
Biography
Shelford served in the British Army between 1981 and 2013, eventually retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel.[1] This included service in the Gulf War as the aide-de-camp to Brigadier Patrick Cordingley.[2]
Shelford was elected to Bath and North East Somerset Council for the Lyncombe ward in the 2015 election.[4] He held this position until 2019, where he was defeated by the Liberal Democrat candidate.[5] He is also a member of the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Panel, and the Avon Fire Authority.[1]
Police and Crime Commissioner
Shelford was elected on the second round of voting in the 2021 PCC election.[3]
In 2022, along with other South West PPC’s, Shelford announced that police on the region would crack down on dealers and users of recreational drugs. [6] Some experts criticised the PCC’s calls to reclassify cannabis from Class B to Class A. [7]
In 2023, Avon and Somerset Chief Constable, Sarah Crew, claimed that the force had institutional racism. Shelford endorsed her claims and said he supported her leadership.[8]
References
- 1 2 3 "Mark Shelford selected as Conservative PCC candidate". The Midsomer Norton, Radstock & District Journal. 21 February 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- 1 2 "Desert Storm Part 12". 4 December 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- 1 2 "Elections 2021: Mark Shelford elected as Avon and Somerset's PCC". BBC News. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ↑ "Lyncombe". Bath and North East Somerset Council. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ↑ Sumner, Stephen (3 May 2019). "Lib Dems seize control from Tories in bath and North East Somerset". BristolLive. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ↑ "South West police crackdown on drug use in night-time economy". BBC News. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ↑ "Experts criticise PCCs' call to re-classify cannabis". BBC News. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ↑ "PCC Mark Shelford has endorsed the claim that Avon and Somerset Police is racist". West Somerset Free Press. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.