Police Reform and Community Safety – an over view of police reforms
Mark Norris,
Senior Adviser,
Local Government Association
29/01/2013 www.local.gov.uk
What the presentation will cover
• Role of Police and Crime Commissioners
• Scrutiny of PCCs
• Links with community safety partnerships
Background to Police Reforms
• Lack of public confidence in the police and criminal justice system;
• Need to reconnect the public with the police;
• Replacing bureaucratic accountability with democratic accountability
Police and Crime Commissioners
• Elected by supplementary vote for a four year term on 15th Nov 2012.
• The PCCs’ role is to: – Secure an efficient and effective police for their
area;– Appoint the chief constable, hold them to account
for running the force, and if necessary dismiss them;
– Set the police and crime objectives for their area through a 5 year Police and Crime Plan;
– Set the force budget and determine the precept;
PCCs continued
– Contribute to the national and international policing capabilities set out by the Home Secretary; and
– Have a duty to co-operate with community safety and criminal justice partners.
• The Policing Protocol sets out that PCCs will only have strategic oversight of forces. They will not be able to influence operational matters.
• The PCC must publish an annual report showing progress against their Police and Crime Plan.
• PCCs are under a general duty to consult and engage with the public.
PCCs
Police and Crime Panels
Police and Crime Panels
• Is one for each force area, established by the councils in that area; they are legally a Local Government Committee
• Role is to both review and scrutinise the PCC’s actions and decisions, and also to assist them in the effective exercise of their functions;
• They are not a police authority in another form; and • Have a minimum of 12 members and a maximum of
20.• A minimum of two members have to be independent,
co-opted members.
2. Community Safety Partnerships
Police and Crime Commissioner
Community Safety Partnerships
Duty to have regard to each other’s priorities1
Request merger Power to
approve
4
Power to call CSP chairs to a meeting to discuss force-wide issues
2
Power to request a report3
Police and Crime Panel
Scrutinise
Grant making powers5
Local Government Association contact: Mark [email protected] 020 7664 3241