HUMBERSIDE's police and crime commissioner Matthew Grove has said he has been moved nearly to tears by the ordeal of victims of serious crime. Mr Grove described emotional meetings with those who have lost loved ones or been subject of serious crime, as the 'rocket fuel' which drives him on. And he said relating to victims and his approach to the commissioner's job allowed him to bring "common sense" to justice issues.
The former East Riding councillor spoke out while giving his annual report to the Humber police and crime panel.
Elected to the new role in late 2012, one of his campaign pledges was to help reduce crime.
However, overall crime in the Humberside force area increased by 4.9 per cent last year.
Despite that, he recently fulfilled another election promise by selling the former police authority headquarters in Hull's High Street in a £350,000 deal with the city council.
Mr Grove said the role gave him the chance to look at things with a fresh set of eyes.
"Being the police and crime commissioner is about applying some common sense to things," he said.
"There is only one of me and I do not have to get agreement from anyone to do things.
"What motivates me most is the mandate I have to represent 900,000 people.
"Thanks to that mandate, when I write to the Home Secretary or a Government minister, things happen."
Another election pledge was to help victims of crime and he said stepping in to save the Hull Rape Crisis Centre from possible closure had been a personal recent highlight.
"The Hull Rape Crisis and sexual abuse service was facing closure and staff were given redundancy notices after the Ministry of Justice reduced its annual funding from £30,000 to £20,000," said Mr Grove.
"The board of trustees at the service already raises £10,000 a year to keep the centre going ands making up the shortfall was looking impossible.
"After hearing about its situation, I agreed to provide £10,000 per year for the next two years from savings made in the running of my own office, securing the short-term future of the service.
"There was no way I could allow a service like this to fold."
He also recalled being "absolutely appalled" to discover that nursing staff dealing with child victims of sexual abuse and assault were digging into their own pockets to buy them clothes and toys.
Mr Grove said: "I could not believe the nurses at the assessment unit were literally having to buy pants and knickers for these kids out of their own money.
"I offered to fund that instead.
"It was just a couple of hundred pounds but that is exactly the sort of thing I was elected to do.
"It didn't need to go through any committee, I could just get something done there and then."
As well as conducting fortnightly street surgeries, he said holding regular private surgeries with victims of crime provided the "rocket fuel" to maintain his momentum and passion for his job as commissioner.
"I have sat, often for hours, and listened to the most harrowing stories from victims of the most serious crimes such as rape, sexual assault and domestic violence," said Mr Grove.
"I have also met families who have lost loved ones and I am frequently moved to the point of tears as they all relate their experiences, not just the ordeal they have suffered at the hands of the perpetrator but the support they were given by the police, the criminal justice system and other agencies.
"These meetings act as my rocket fuel.
"The victim must always come first as these crimes erode and damage the lives of many families, as well as diminishing the life chances of our children."
