Joy Allen has been elected the next Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington.
The announcement was made early evening today (Saturday 8 May) at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, following an election on Thursday 6 May.
Labour candidate Joy Allen won with 80,510 votes after second preference votes were counted.
The election saw a rise in turnout to 35.37%, compared to 17.7% in 2016.
Joy Allen will hold the Chief Constable to account for the performance of the police force, effectively making the police answerable to the communities it serves.
She will replace Acting Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner Steve White who will return to his role as Chief Executive.
Ms Allen will commence office on Thursday 13 May and will serve a three-year term.
PCC Joy Allen is asking residents how much more they are willing to pay to prevent crime and protect their families and communities from harm
PCC Joy Allen has launched an ambitious effort to prevent and tackle crime in communities hardest hit by problems as part of a new winter crackdown
A hard-hitting campaign has been launched to remind drivers of the repercussions of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol