Coronavirus: some councils are doing better than others. And where are the Police and Crime Commissioners?

They should be ensuring that the police do not behave in a way that alienates people. Plus – the imperative to free up NHS beds.

Anne Crampton: In Hart, spending by the Lib Dems is out of control

More staff are being recruited in the town hall. We would give priority to free parking to boost our high streets.

Jay Singh-Sohal: It’s not just London. Knife crime is a huge problem in the West Midlands

Labour has chosen a Corbynista as its Police and Crime commissioner candidate. He won’t provide the action we need.

Local elections 2) The Conservatives can hope to gain more Police and Crime Commissioners

The start of a weekly series on this site each Monday previewing the local elections being held on May 7th.

The Conservatives should be more transparent about candidate selections

A candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is to be chosen on Friday.

Jonathon Seed: My mission to make Wiltshire and Swindon safe

First time young offenders need a chance of being steered away from a life of crime – which a conviction or caution may precipitate.

Ministers must act to spur a tougher, more pro-active police response to Extinction Rebellion

The Cambridgeshire Constabulary have been rightly criticised, but the Government needs to set timorous senior officers on firmer legal ground.

Local elections 2020: Holding the mayoralties in the Tees Valley and the West Midlands will be key Conservative challenges

But Labour will be under most pressure. They will be defending seats in areas where they performed very poorly in the General Election.

Andy Street: The Government is providing the investment we need to make our communities safer

We have a candidate for PCC in Jay Singh-Sohal who grasps the complexities of policing one of the most densely populated areas in Europe.

Festus Akinbusoye: The scandal of rising assaults on police officers. And what must be done to help reduce them.

We may need to move towards a mandatory minimum sentence to send a clearer message.

Neil Shastri-Hurst: How Johnson can defeat the knife crime epidemic

Applying the principles of prevention, treatment and recovery could deliver results. This could be a real legacy.

Matthew Barber: Sticking to Peelite principles of policing

The merits of local policing, embedded in the community, should not be underestimated. Shifting to specialist teams is a mistake.

Matthew Barber: How catching drug dealers cuts crime more generally

A string of bicycle thefts could be a coordinated plan, with those stealing the bikes paid with a small amount of Class A drugs.

Parvez Akhtar: The Conservatives will need to campaign hard to retain the Mayoralty of the West Midlands

The region is still strong Labour territory. We must ensure that Andy Street is at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.

Matthew Barber: We don’t have a system to adequately investigate and prosecute fraud

In Thames Valley we have had some groundbreaking investigations. But there are too many agencies with overlapping responsibilities.