Police Commissioner candidate promises to act on female circumcision

“The last thing any area needs is a police and crime commissioner officially representing a political party.

All they will do is use the police to score party political points. Police forces have become increasingly politicised in recent years and such appointments will only increase this tendency.

The current system of police committees which the new commissioners will replace may not be perfect but the committees are made up of a broad church of people of various political persuasions and indeed some non-political people.

Giving this power to one person, especially someone who in most cases will have had no previous police experience and almost certainly not at a senior level, is asking for all sorts of crazy, unworkable credos, even though the commissioner will have no operational role. In theory that is, because I can't believe that some won't try to stick their nose in and tell chief constables how they should be going about their professional policing role. Perhaps the next thing will be lay people running hospitals and telling surgeons how to carry out operations.

A number of people I've spoken to believe the commissioners will replace chief constables.

Similar confusion exists in some quarters concerning the mayor and the lord mayor.”

“Taxpayerbris I am sure that I did say "I don't agree with male circumcision either unless for medical reasons".”

“everyday-guy - 20,000 girls at risk from FGM in the Avon & Somerset area? So give or take, you're trying to tell me that nationaly there are a million girls at risk? Are you start raving mad or what? How about you let on where I can find a single shred of evidence for this ridiculous estimate.

I'm sorry but this a totally stupid distraction from what ought to be a serious debate about the role of police commissioner.

And how come the word *********** b l y was starred out in my previous post?”

“everydayguy, utter hypocrisy. Neither practice is acceptable in a modern society however far more male children are mutilated worldwide by these barbaric practices, accepted as commonplace to satisfy superstition and stupidity.

There is a direct comparison, children are mutilated by people that should be caring for them.”

“Taxpayerbris there is no comparison between male and female cir***sion. I don't agree with male circumcision either unless for medical reasons but female circumcision is barbaric to say the least. It is often undertaken with make shift instruments that have included broken pieces of metal and glass. Women are frequently left in permanent discomfort and have increased sexual and urological problems if they are lucky, if they are unlucky then they have died from the procedure. All of which is carried out without any form of anaesthetic. It is probably best compared to someone slicing off your penis with a piece of glass, no anaesthetic and left raw and painful afterwards.

Malky1935 female genital mutilitaion is a major problem in the south west and UK. It is thought that 20,000 girls are at risk. As we in Bristol have a large multi cultural community then it is an important and relevant issue. It should also be noted that this article only covers one of Pete Levy's policies.”

“Thank you, taxpayerbris, for bringing the somewhat lesser mutilation of the penis to my attention. It happens that I do agree with your reservations - that practice too is barbaric, prescribed by ancient religious leaders determined to treat their guillible followers as nastily as they can get away with.”

“I take it by the thumbs down it's ok in this progressive western society for us to mutilate male children but if the other tribe wants to mutilate their female children they are barbaric and backward? I think perhaps we should take stock of ourselves before preaching to others..”

“I completely support Mr Levy in his campaign against FGM. It's about time someone of significance had the courage to speak out against the horrible practice - including its elimination throughout the World. We are slowly constructing a civilised society, and the fact that savage people are still allowed to practise barbaric and mediaeval rituals is an utter disgrace.”

“I, perhaps mistakenly, thought the role of these police commissioners was to ensure resources were distributed ******bly and that the public were being protected and represented without fear or favour - that sort of thing. Perhaps a good place for candidates to start might be in trying to restore the tarnished image of the police service in general following the recent Hillsborough report and the cosy media relationships exposed through the phone-hacking enquiry etc. I'd have thought the last thing either we, or the police, need right now is the introduction of another level of bureaucracy occupied by self-serving politicans flogging their own particular hobby-horses and jumping on every band-wagon that rolls up. Surely someone willing to work with the force is likely to achieve far more than someone who rocks up with a controntational atitude and agenda?”

“Because..? FGM is hardly a major problem in the South-West, or anywhere else in the UK. Where is his data showing the details of this problem and how does he propose measuring the effect his policies are having? assuming 1)he is elected, & 2)he remembers his promise after he is elected. Typical Liberal, making worthless promises about utter pointless issues. How about focusing of the real police issues that effect everyone in the current financial climate? Idiot!”