Transcript Slide 1

Building Safer Communities
through Stronger Partnerships
Police and Crime
Commissioners (PCC)
DCC Debbie Simpson
12 September 2012
The road to PCC transition
• Formation of Coalition Government – 2010
• Policing in the 21st Century – 2010
• Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act
2011
• Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC)
came into being in London – January 2012
• Elections scheduled for 15 November 2012
• Cessation of remaining police authorities and
handover to Police and Crime Commissioners
(PCC) on 22 November 2012
Key areas of the Act
• Creates the office of Police and Crime
Commissioner (PCC) with its own legal
personality.
• Introduces the Strategic Policing Requirement
(SPR) and Police and Crime Plans
• Introduces Police and Crime Panels (PCP)
• Makes other key provisions including:
– Policing Protocol on operational independence
– Guidance on collaboration
– Transfer of property, rights and liabilities
What will be different?
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Directly elected individual – not 17 Members
New style of governance – not Committees
New layer of accountability – the PCP
New broader role in community safety and
criminal justice
• Flexibility to direct funding to local priorities
• Visible and accountable to the communities they
serve
PCC roles and responsibilities
• The PCC within each force area has a statutory
duty and electoral mandate to hold the police to
account on behalf of the public.
• The PCC has the legal power and duty to:
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Set the strategic direction and objectives of the Force
Decide the budget and set the precept
Enter into collaboration agreements
Make grants to organisations aside from the police
(including but not limited to Community Safety
Partnerships)
– Appoint the Chief Constable and hold them to
account for the performance of the force and its staff
PCC roles and responsibilities
• The PCC has wider responsibilities than those
relating solely to the police force, including:
– Responsibility for the delivery of community safety
and crime reduction
– Ability to bring together Community Safety
Partnerships at force level
– Ability to make crime and disorder reduction grants
(but no additional funding)
– A duty to ensure collaboration agreements deliver
better value for money or enhance effectiveness
– A wider responsibility for the enhancement of the
delivery of criminal justice in their area.
Chief Constable’s role
• The Chief Constable (CC) is responsible for
maintaining the Queen’s Peace and has
direction and control over the Force’s officers
and staff. The CC, their officers and staff retain
operational independence.
• The CC is responsible to the public and
accountable to the PCC for:
– Being the operational voice of policing in the area
– Supporting the PCC in the delivery of strategy and
objectives in the Plan
– Assisting the PCC in planning the budget and having
day to day responsibility for financial management of
the force
– Having regard to the Strategic Policing Requirement
Role of Police and Crime Panel
An “important but limited role” (Home Office)
• The purpose of the Panel is to scrutinise the
PCC, not the Chief Constable. It should also act
as a “critical friend” and support to the PCC.
• The PCPs functions include the power to:
– Veto the proposed precept and any candidate for
Chief Constable (two-thirds majority of total Panel
membership required)
– Review the draft Plan and make recommendations
– Request relevant reports and information from the
PCC
– Require the PCC to attend the Panel
PCC role – partnership working
The election of the PCC introduces a change to the
community safety landscape.
• PCCs and responsible authorities must act in cooperation with each other
• Responsible authorities must have regard to the
objectives in the police and crime plan
• The PCC must have regard to the relevant priorities of
each responsible authority
• The PCC will be able to require reports from CSPs about
issues of concern and call meetings to discuss issues
• The PCC will be able to commission community safety
work from a range of partners, not just CSPs.
The PCC and VCSE
• The arrival of the PCC will have a profound
effect on VCSE organisations involved in
community safety.
• PCCs will play an important role in local
commissioning of services.
• Community safety funding passes to PCCs in
April 2013 and the funding for victim and
witness support passes to PCCs in April 2014.
Elections and Transition
• The last date for candidates to declare is 19 October 2012.
• Elections are due to take place on 15 November 2012.
• The Returning Officer (PARO) has been nominated.
• Dorset County Council will host the Police and Crime Panel
(composition Councillor Members + 2 co-opted members to a
maximum of 20). The shadow panel must be in place by
October.
• Dorset Police Authority and Dorset Police run a jointly chaired
Transition Board. The Board includes the Returning Officer and
representatives from the Community Safety Partnerships,
Criminal Justice Board and the Police and Crime Panel.
First Months of Office
• The PCC will take up office on 22
November 2012
• Before April 2013 the PCC must:
– Issue the first Police and Crime Plan
– Set the budget for 2013/14
• Community Safety funding streams will
move to the PCC from 1 April 2013