It is now less than one month until people in Hertfordshire will be able to vote in the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) election.

We have spoken to all candidates, and below is an interview with the Conservative candidate David Lloyd.

For a guide on everything you need to know about the upcoming elections, and for interviews with the other candidates, click here. 

Name: David Lloyd

Age: 52

Address: Flamstead

Occupation: Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire

What qualifies you for the role?

I was elected as your Police and Crime Commissioner in 2012 and have successfully led what is recognised as one of the best police forces in the country.

I have a professional background in finance, but have been elected as a councillor, variously at county and borough level since 1992.

I have served as deputy leader of the county council and chair of the police authority as well as leading portfolios covering resources, health and fire and rescue.

I understand policing but I also understand how Hertfordshire works and the key agencies which need to work together to keep it the safe place it is today.

What do you see as the policing priorities in Watford and south west Hertfordshire

I have worked hard to ensure the policing priorities for an area are set by the people who understand it best - the people who live and work there along with the professionals who police it.

In Hertfordshire we have strong local community safety partnerships where local authorities, the police and other agencies work together to set priorities and resolve problems.

I have supported that by making sure that each area retains a strong local policing team led by a chief inspector focussed on the problems of their own patch, working with partners to solve problems and answerable to local people for their performance.

Locally people tell me that their top priorities are anti-social behaviour, speeding traffic and fly-tipping. County-wide I have also made domestic abuse a top priority.

How will you combat the problems?

I will continue to provide the resources the neighbourhood police team need to do their job and will continue to hold the chief constable to account for doing it well.

We have excellent policing teams in all three districts, which understand their patch, respond to local concerns and are adept at meeting challenges which arise.

This ability to deliver on local priorities rather than have them dictated centrally is one of the main reasons I have worked so hard to preserve these well resourced local teams - a model which is being eroded elsewhere in the country.

At a countywide level I have set specific strategic goals and provided extra resources to meet areas of public concern, such as domestic abuse, cybercrime, child sexual exploitation and protecting the vulnerable and those include specialist units to support the work of our local policing teams.

Would you pledge to keep Watford police station open?

Yes. I think the Lib Dems have been the only people talking about closing it.

I have guaranteed in my Police and Crime Plan that every district and borough in Hertfordshire will have its own local policing team and its own police station and that includes Watford.

I would like to see the facilities modernised, however, and am happy to discuss options for doing so with the local authority.

Do you think enough is being done to combat child exploitation?

Child Sexual Exploitation is not a new problem but for far too long it has been a hidden one.

I am pleased that so many more victims now have the confidence to come forward and that we all have a much better understanding of this life destroying crime.

In Hertfordshire we have responded by putting new resources into a specialist unit and conducting Operation Halo, which has been successful in catching offenders - but of course there is more to do.

As in so many areas, we can’t simply rely on a police response alone to solve this problem - we all have a part to play.

We need to continue to educate people about what to look for and how they can help protect the vulnerable, support those who are victi ms to enable them to come forward, as well as having tough enforcement by the police,

How would you ensure there are enough police officers on the streets?

I have done this firstly by preserving local policing in Hertfordshire.

Unlike most of the rest of the country we have a strong local policing model which keeps officers and PCSOs on the local front line.

I have achieved this by improving efficiency and making savings elsewhere and collaborating with neighbouring forces.

If re-elected I will continue to protect local policing and I promise that it is the last place I will ever look for savings.

We have also increased the amount of time officers spend on the streets by a huge investment in mobile technology which frees them from the shackles of the desk and allows them to spend more time working in the community.

How would you pay for this?

As HMIC has confirmed, Hertfordshire is in a strong financial position with well thought out plans to improve efficiency through collaboration and to maintain officer numbers.

The announcement by the government that police budgets would be protected for the next four years greatly reduces financial pressure and I am confident we are well placed to be able to sustain our current strong position.

Do you think the role is relevant given the turnout at the last election?

The turnout was disappointing at the last election and the reasons are well rehearsed - holding a stand alone election on a dark November day for a completely new post wasn’t likely to drive people to the polls.

I think things are very different this time. People do understand the role better and have some concrete achievements to measure us against.

I am happy to stand on my record of protecting local policing, improving efficiency and cutting tax as well as revolutionising services for victims and I am confident we will see a much bigger turnout this May.

Have you ever done anything illegal?

Other than a fixed penalty fine for speeding in 1992, no.

Of course anybody who has been convicted of an imprisonable offence is barred from standing as PCC.

Anything else you want to add?

I believe I have shown in my time in it that the role of Police and Crime Commissioner can make a real concrete difference in Hertfordshire.

People may not agree with what I have done but I think they realise that things would have been very different without a PCC.

This election is real opportunity to have your say and shape the future of policing, community safety and the treatment of victims in your county - so I urge everybody to use their vote.