Who's standing in the 2016 police and crime commissioner election in West Yorkshire?

It will be only the second election of a police and crime commissioner - the figure who oversees our police - since the role was created by the coalition government three-and-a-half years ago.

But many will be hoping the victor isn't apathy. The first vote, in November 2012, attracted only a 13 per cent voter turnout, with similarly low turnouts seen across the country.

This time round, the election of a new police and crime commissioner has been combined with the local elections, which could see the turnout figures improve.

Sitting police and crime commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson is seeking to defend his 42,000-vote majority for the Labour Party.

He faces competition from four other candidates: the Conservatives' Allan Doherty, Stewart Golton of the Liberal Democrats, UKIP's Peter Corkindale and Therese Hirst of the English Democrats.

People will go to the polls on Thursday. The count will be held the following day at venues across West Yorkshire, with the result being announced from Wakefield.

Police and Crime Commissioners were created as a directly-elected replacement to the old model of police authorities.

While many people on the doorstep may struggle to say exactly what commissioners do, their role is wide-ranging and influential.

They oversee the police budget and are tasked with delivering an effective and efficient police service - a role which is proving ever more important as public sector budgets shrink.

They work to to cut crime, set crime-fighting priorities and act as the voice of the people to ensure forces are answerable to the communities they serve.

They are also expected to appoint Chief Constables, hold them to account for running the force, and if necessary suspend or dismiss them.

This was an eventuality seen last week in South Yorkshire in the aftermath of the landmark Hillsborough disaster inquest ruling.

South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings suspended Chief Constable David Crompton after jurors concluded the 96 victims of the 1989 disaster were unlawfully killed.

Meet the candidates

Conservative candidate Allan Joseph Doherty:

"People in West Yorkshire should have confidence that their Police and Crime Commissioner is listening to their concerns, that’s why I’m determined to take action on the things that matter most to you and your family.

"For 31 years I served West Yorkshire Police in both uniform and CID roles across Halifax, Leeds and Bradford and was commended on 22 occasions, retiring in 2010 as a Commander in the force.

"I’ve been listening to your views to help produce a clear 5-point plan to keep you and your family safe; Listening to you – I will listen to your concerns and focus on the most important issues, protecting the budget and ensuring every pound is spent wisely to invest in frontline services.

"Working with the community – I want to see a force that is visible and accessible, with increased neighbourhood patrols and officers present at community and transport hubs.

"Collaborating with partners – I would work with organisations across the county and beyond to ensure resources and information are shared to prevent and reduce crime.

"Tackling cyber-crime – Some of the most vulnerable victims in society are targeted using the internet. I will create a unit to prevent internet crime and to train officers to deal with cyber-crime more effectively.

"Cutting crime – I will maximise the impact that technology can make to reducing crime by ensuring current CCTV systems across the county are fully utilised to deter and convict criminals."

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English Democrats candidate Therese Hirst:

"There can be no doubt that communities across West Yorkshire are facing unprecedented challenges due to sustained government cuts to policing budgets – which will have seen them slashed by almost a third – and to threats from extremists who seek to undermine our English values and destroy our way of life.

"However, priority must be given to traditional policing, where communities can be secure in the knowledge that the police actually serve the local community and have a visible presence, and can be on hand to address issues that matter to them, such as domestic burglary, anti-social behaviour and drug crime, which have gone largely unchallenged.

"Yet, sometimes prevention is better than cure – and a special department with its own budget will be set up so that households can apply for a grant to make their homes more secure.

"I remain steadfast to challenging religious and cultural practices which place many women at the risk of serious harm, through forced marriages, domestic abuse and illegal divorces.

"So too, to the protection of each and every child in our community from child sexual exploitation or from institutions that masquerade as places of education but in reality indoctrinate and teach intolerance and to tackling political correctness which has led to thousands of serious crimes swept under the carpet."

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Labour candidate Mark Burns-Williamson:

"I have served as West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner since I was elected in 2012, I am standing to be re-elected on my record of delivery.

"I am the only candidate in West Yorkshire with the proven ability and track record to stand up for people across West Yorkshire providing the strong committed leadership our police and communities need.

"I made firm promises when I was elected to stand against the £140m Tory cut to the police in West Yorkshire and to protect frontline policing.

"I have delivered and with partners have protected our local Police and Community Support Officers whilst also recruiting an extra 300 police officers to rebuild policing numbers in West Yorkshire.

"I continue to fight for more Proceeds of Crime to come back to West Yorkshire and to invest more of this money to make sure our communities are safer and feel safer.

"I am proud that my Safer Communities Fund has now provided £1.2m new funding to hundreds of local groups to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and support victims.

"I pledged to reduce the cost of my office in line with Government cuts to the police and I now have one of the lowest office costs in England and Wales."

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Liberal Democrats candidate Barry Stewart Golton:

"I have been a local councillor since 1998, and I know that the basis of any successful community is to provide a confident neighbourhood safe from crime.

"Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams are the key to making us feel secure on our streets, but they are increasingly being undermined through poor support.

"Police vacancies remain unfilled while the frontline policing budget for our area has £3 million lying there unspent. Crime has reduced in many areas, but these neighbourhoods often then see their PCSOs reduced and sent elsewhere, risking crime going up once more.

"To make matters worse, the majority of crimes that are committed go unsolved, with the perpetrators free to offend again.

"The entourage around the Police and Crime Commissioner costs over £1 million, and £26 million sits in the bank as reserves for a rainy day.

"It’s time to get more of this money spent: to get all our areas their fair share of community policing; introduce more No Cold Calling Zones to protect the vulnerable from fraud; to tackle hate crime and domestic violence head on; to deter more from offending in the first place by catching more of those that do."

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UKIP candidate Peter Allan Gilchrist Corkindale:

"As the role of the PCC has evolved it is apparent that in order to serve the people of West Yorkshire it is vital that the PCC becomes less of a political animal and more of a facilitator.

"It is therefore perhaps fortunate that I have had a varied working life, one, it could be said, is tailor made for the role of PCC. Twelve years in industry, 27 as a police officer and five as a local politician.

"I am one of the first to sign the Committee on Standards in Public Life checklist showing I am committed to openness, transparency and high ethical standards in public life.

"Making decisions in an open and transparent way, ensuring that members of the public have easy access to the PCC and that they are listened to so that the service delivered is of the highest quality. I am also committed to the eradication of fraud.

"I also believe that the Chief Officer needs support so that he or she can be innovative and free to run the force without undue interference.

"Support for officers and support staff who can do the job knowing that those at the top will back them in their efforts and supply the best and latest equipment to make the job less hazardous where possible."