Anthony Stansfeld Explained

Anthony Stansfeld
Office:Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner
Term Start:22 November 2012
Term End:12 May 2021
Predecessor:Office created
Successor:Matthew Barber
Office2:Councillor for Kintbury Ward
West Berkshire Council
Term Start2:2003
Term End2:2008
Birth Date:14 October 1945
Party:Conservative Party
Profession:Defence and Aviation Exports
Module:
Embed:yes
Allegiance: United Kingdom
Battles:Falklands War

Anthony Hamer Rennie Stansfeld (born 14 October 1945) is a British Conservative Party politician who was the first Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner (2012–21).

Career

Stansfeld has had a career in both the military and in industry. He enlisted in the Army at 17 and joined the Royal Green Jackets where he saw active service in Borneo and Northern Ireland. He learnt to fly helicopters at Middle Wallop and commanded various Army Air Corps Squadrons, including the Army helicopters in the Falkland Islands in the latter half of 1982. He spent two years as Chief of Staff Intelligence in the Far East. While in the Army he spent 4 months carrying out the reconnaissance for the crossing of the Darién Gap in Panama and Colombia, and led the first stage of Operation Raleigh, taking young people through the jungles of Honduras and Belize.

On leaving the Army he was marketing director, and then, for 6 years, managing director of the aircraft company Pilatus Britten Norman. At the same time he commanded the Army reserve helicopters as a Territorial Army officer. He has an MSc and studied international terrorism and global security at university.

Political career

Stansfeld was elected to West Berkshire Council as a Councillor in 2003 representing Kintbury Ward, having previously served on Kintbury Parish Council.[1] He was a Trustee of the Thames Valley Air Ambulance for 8 years.

From 2008 to 2012 he was appointed to Thames Valley Police Authority (becoming Chairman of the Performance Committee in 2011). He was the first person to serve as the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, being elected on 15 November 2012.[2] In 2019, he was reported to have intervened in a case with which Thames Valley Police were not involved, on behalf of a fellow member of the International Tribunal for Natural Justice (ITNJ).[3] [4] [5] This was the subject of a misconduct hearing and he was found, by the police force's complaints panel, to have acted outside his remit and he did not seek re-election.[6] [7] [8] At a 2019 event organised by Sacha Stone (founder of the ITNJ), Stansfeld was a guest speaker. He said "The implications of microwave radiation has increased exponentially and will continue to do so, and it does seriously need some very open scientific study to prove that it is safe and I don’t think we’ve got that at the moment."[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2016-03-04. West Berkshire Council - Election 2003 - Results for [Archive]]. 2021-08-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113645/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/loc03/pages/WestBerkshire/Kintbury.html. 4 March 2016.
  2. News: PCC elections: Beds, Herts and the Thames Valley. 16 November 2012. BBC News. BBC. 19 November 2012.
  3. Web site: Way . Fran . PCC threatens Mail over this story about 'abusing his office to help billionaire's ex-wife' . Oxford Mail . 2019-11-21 . 2021-06-10.
  4. Web site: Way . Fran . Elected head of Thames Valley Police admits warning man of police action in bid to help a billionaire's ex-wife . Bucks Free Press . 2019-11-21 . 2021-06-10.
  5. Web site: Not Real News: A look at what didn't happen this week . AP NEWS . 2021-04-20 . 2021-06-10.
  6. Web site: Way. Fran. 2020-02-14. £86,700-a-year head of police faces misconduct complaint today. 2021-06-11. Oxford Mail.
  7. Web site: Way. Fran. 2021-02-09. Police boss found to have acted outside his remit as elected head of force. 2021-06-11. Oxford Mail.
  8. News: 2021-04-13. PCC elections: The candidates standing in Thames Valley. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-04-21.
  9. Web site: Wright. Tom. 2020-06-16. The 5G Con That Could Make You Sick. live. BBC Radio 4. https://web.archive.org/web/20210307225804/http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rmhttp/fileon4/PG07_5G_Con.pdf . 7 March 2021 .