Welcome to the website of the High Sheriff of Essex for 2019–20. My name is James Bettley, and you can read more about me by clicking here. I took up my appointment, which lasts for a year, on 8 April 2019.

During my year in office I shall be posting blogs here as well as tweeting @Essex_HS. Some of the posts will be about what I’ve been up to, the people I’ve met and the organisations I’ve visited; others will be about the Essex shrievalty in general, mainly historical, on topics that have caught my interest.

The High Sheriff is the Queen’s representative for law and order in the county, and you can read more about diverse nature of the role here. In the coming year I shall be focussing in particular on issues relating to women offenders, especially the desirability of providing alternatives to custodial sentences.

I shall also be taking a hands-on approach to the scourge of litter, which is a blight on our environment and encourages antisocial behaviour generally as well as the more serious crime of fly-tipping: read more here, and about how you can help me raise money for the High Sheriffs’ Fund.

And on my way round the county I’ll also be talking to people about how we can help to ensure that all residents of Essex, whether living in settled or transitory communities, are treated equally and with respect, and have access to the services and facilities they need.