Agenda and minutes

Prior to commencing the Panel’s business, the Chairman read out the following statement:

“At the start of the meeting I would ask the Panel to extend its sympathies to Cllr Lynn Senior, whose partner tragically died in an accident in Leicester City Centre on 26^th June.

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Before I move the minutes of the Panel’s last meeting, I would like to welcome Sir Clive whose ill-health prevented him from attending our last meeting.  I am sure that the Panel wishes him well in his recovery.

However, the minutes of the last meeting remind us that most of the meeting was taken up with our need to respond to the Commissioner’s letter saying that he needed to take a period of extended absence due to incapacitating ill-health and his request that we appoint an Acting Commissioner.

Although this matter is not specifically on our agenda today, there are two questions on which the Panel needs answers from Sir Clive.

The first question is whether the Commissioner is medically fit to carry out his role.  The Panel has yet to hear from him.  A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will suffice.  This is a public meeting and we are not looking for personal detail.

The second question is how the Panel came to be misled and to waste its time in seeking to appoint an Acting Commissioner.  Had the Panel known at its last meeting that the Commissioner had tweeted less than an hour before the meeting that he hoped to be back at work within a couple of weeks, it is unlikely we would have felt the need to consider appointing an Acting Commissioner.

I now move the minutes of the last meeting.  Is there a seconder?

I hope the Commissioner will be able to answer these two questions during the course of the meeting.”

In response to the Chairman’s statement, the Commissioner requested the Chairman’s permission to read out a statement to members of the Panel to which the Chairman was agreeable. The Commissioner’s statement read as follows:

“I have become aware of the increasing interest in my intentions for the future Mr. Chair. It was to my great surprise that I read that I might be considering whether or not to stand for re-election as an independent candidate. I can assure you that never was the case and would not happen. However I do feel that the time has come for clarity.so let me give that to you.

I have, earlier today, informed my office, the Chief Constable and the senior team and indeed the Conservative Party only minutes before this meeting that I do not intend to stand on the Police and Crime Commissioner elections next May. Notwithstanding any other reason, and there are several, this is because I have confidence that by that time (by May next year) the job that I set out to do will have been done.so thank you Chair in considering the busy agenda in front of us, I am sure you would like to crack on with that.”

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 June were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

No public questions had been received.

There were no urgent items for consideration.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

Cllr. O. O’ Shea declared a personal interest in respect of all substantive items as a civilian at Leicestershire Police.

Cllr. M. Sood declared a personal interest in respect of all substantive items as a member of the Police’s Independent Advisory Panel, as the Chairman of the Leicester Council of Faiths and a member of the Bishop’s Faith Forum.

Cllr. M. Graham declared a personal interest in respect of item 5 (“PCC’s Annual Report 2014/15”) as he had made a contribution to the Report as Chairman of Melton’s Community Safety Partnership (Minute 150 refers).

The Panel is required in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 to “review and make a report or recommendations on the PCC’s Annual Report to the Commissioner”.

The Panel considered a report of the Police and Crime Commissioner concerning his Annual Report covering the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015. A copy of the report, marked “Agenda Item 5”, is filed with these minutes.

Arising from discussion of the Annual Report, the following comments were noted:

·                Arising from comments made by the Chairman at a meeting with officers of the OPCC, content had now been included to take account of the lessons learned following the Judicial Review action taken by the PCC over the “New Lubbesthorpe” development, which had been discussed in detail at the Panel’s meeting on 14 July 2014;

·                The document was praised for its ease of reading and its focus around the partnership work the PCC had been engaged in during the past year;

·                It was felt that the Annual Report would benefit from a little more detail in regard to crime reductions as a result of action taken by the PCC;

·                A request was made for further detail on the national comparative context of the PCC’s work in respect of drug and alcohol treatment completions. The Commissioner indicated that he would provide some clarity on this issue to the Panel after the meeting;

·                It was felt that more could be done to engage those communities whose primary language was not English. This point was raised primarily in relation to drug and alcohol work, though it was felt that it would benefit all areas of the Force’s work;

·                The Youth Commission was now in its third year of recruitment and was considered to be well represented in respect of some of the protected characteristics of the Equality Duty. The recruitment process had been wide and had attempted to engage all groups via a number of different publicity channels. 27 members had thus far been recruited and would have their first event on 25 July;

·                There was a request for further detail about how the PCC communicated and engaged with partners. Though it was acknowledged that this was not covered in detail in the Annual Report, the Commissioner indicated that he was happy for members of the Panel to be provided with clarity on the structure and working arrangements for the Strategic Partnership Board, which would hopefully show how the PCC engaged at a strategic level with all partners;

·                The new policing model which had launched in February of this year was consistent with the strategic priorities of the Police and Crime Plan. There had been some teething issues in respect of demand management and investigative processes which still required improvement.  An update on the new model’s effectiveness and sustainability would be reported to the Panel’s meeting in September;

·                There was praise for the Police’s work in respect of honour killing, forced marriage and hate crime;

·                The 2.7% crime reduction in respect of Strategic Priority 11 (“a significant reduction in all crime”) was commended. It was felt that the data in support of this reduction was robust as it had been verified by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary as being around 90% accurate.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the PCC’s Annual Report be approved, subject to the comments made by the Panel;

(b)       That the comments made by the Panel (as set out above) form a report to be submitted to the Commissioner for his information;

(c)       That the PCC and the Force be congratulated for the 2.7% reduction in all crime.

The Panel considered a report of the Police and Crime Commissioner concerning the steps taken to convene an Ethics, Integrity and Complaints Committee on behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner. A copy of the report, marked “Agenda Item 6”, is filed with these minutes.

The Commissioner updated the Panel in regard to the membership of the Ethics, Integrity and Complaints Committee as a result of events following the previous Panel meeting at which this item had been due to be considered. Of the seven Committee members referenced in the report, one had unfortunately had to drop out due to work commitments and one had failed to successfully pass the vetting procedure.

Of the five confirmed Committee members, three were academics, one was from the third (or voluntary) sector and one was from the health sector. It was hoped that the names of those individuals on the Committee would be published on the OPCC’s website in early August.

Arising from discussion, the following points were noted:

·                The Panel was assured that the remuneration of Committee members was in line with Home Office guidance and that for Joint Audit and Risk Assurance Panel members. Though they were required to attend four meetings per year, it was expected that they would also be required to undertake some work between meetings;

·                The gender and race balance of the Committee was not presently as would be liked. Recruitment processes in the future would be tailored in order to achieve a better balance going forward.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

The Panel considered a report of the Police and Crime Commissioner concerning an update on the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) including progress towards the identification of savings required for 2016/17 and approached toward savings required to 2019/20. A copy of the report, marked “Agenda Item 7”, is filed with these minutes.

Arising from discussion, the following points were noted:

·                The report was written in readiness for the previous Panel meeting and there had since been a budget announcement by the Government. It was therefore suggested that a further update be provided at the Panel’s next meeting in September;

·                Assumptions for Council Tax were based on an increase of 1.99% over each of the next four years;

·                Regional work would be crucial to achieving savings. An evaluation of the Scottish model (in which all forces had been amalgamated into one) would hopefully emerge later this year;

·                There was an ongoing dialogue in respect of further joining up of “blue light” services, though little commitment had yet been made;

·                The MTFS focused on a reduction in personnel as 83% of the budget was spent on staffing. Other avenues however were also being explored, including energy savings and estates management.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the report be noted;

(b)       That a further update on the MTFS position be reported to the Panel’s meeting in September.

The next meeting of the Panel is scheduled to take place on 16 September at 1.00pm.

It was NOTED that the next meeting of the Panel would be held on 16 September at 1.00pm.