THE chairman of Huddersfield Pakistani Community Alliance says he is anxious to raise community awareness ahead of elections for the Police and Crime Commissioner next week.

Shazad Hussain spoke out before the elections on November 15.

He said the elections would be a “significant departure from how our police force is run in West Yorkshire’’.

He added: “It is important that we exercise our democratic right to ensure that the right candidate is elected.

“Black, minority, ethnic communities in the region have many outstanding concerns about the policing of the area.

“These include issues around trust and confidence, fair play and equality of treatment in all aspects of policing.

“It is important that these issues are raised and assurances are sought from the candidates for this very important public office.

“Communities across the board are not fully aware of this fundamental change or its significance.

“Although time is not on our side we need to do more to raise public awareness.

“We would be taking up concerns pertinent to the black, minority and ethnic communities in our region.

“The elected commissioner would have major challenges to redress institutional equalities and achieve a sense of fair play across all sections of the community.”

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