Festus Akinbusoye was elected as Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner on 6 May 2021.

He was born in Nigeria and migrated to the United Kingdom aged 13, where he resided with his parents and twin sister on a Council Estate in East London. On completing his college education, Festus studied for a Bachelors Degree in Business, a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations and a Masters Degree in International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of London.

At age 16, Festus worked on a construction site during school holidays and ran a business as well. The business failed and he would go on to start-up two others by the time he graduated from university. This business, with the support of the Prince’s Trust, grew from employing four employees to 60 in ten years. He remains a Director of this company.

Festus stood as a Parliamentary candidate at the 2015 General Election, is a former Parish Councillor and Chairman of a local political association. He has previously worked as Senior Parliamentary Assistant to Members of Parliament and Government Ministers. Prior to his election, Festus volunteered as mentor to young offenders in prison, served on Board of Governors at a Further Education College with responsibility for the Offender Learning and Skills Service portfolio, and he also served on the Board of Directors of a YMCA where he used to live as a 23 year old. Festus also served as a Special Constable with Bedfordshire Police, having frontline policing responsibilities and duties.

As Police and Crime Commissioner, Festus currently serves as Association of Police and Crime Commissioner portfolio lead for Crime Prevention, and was joint portfolio lead for International and Strategic Policing. Some of his key areas of interest include proactive, problem solving community based policing, early intervention for crime prevention, ethics and standards in policing, placing victims at heart of policing priorities and use of technological innovation to improve public access.

Festus is a very proud dad to his children.