Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrlN4_PKzPXgwQy_hrDS5BcGIorl3pKb9

There were no questions submitted.

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.

No declarations were made.

The Police and Crime Panel considered a report of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) regarding the proposed appointment of Miss Charlotte Chirico to the post of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner (DPCC). A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 4’, is filed with these minutes.

The Chairman welcomed the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Miss Charlotte Chirico to the meeting.

The Chairman outlined the process for the hearing and the options available to the Panel on the conclusion of the hearing which were as follows:

1.          If the Panel was content with the proposed senior appointment, it could agree to report its endorsement to the PCC.

2.          Where a candidate met the standards, but the Panel had concerns about their suitability, such concerns could form part of the Panel’s report and recommendations to the PCC.

3.          In the event that the Panel determined that the candidate did not meet the requirements for the post, the Panel could provide advice and recommendations accordingly to the PCC in its report.

The Chairman asked the PCC to explain why Miss Chirico was his chosen candidate for the post. The PCC stated that she had experience within the Crown Prosecution Service and as a local councillor. She had all of the skills and experience in order to carry out all of the duties expected of a DPCC.

The Panel questioned Miss Chirico with regards to her professional competence and personal independence. In response to questions Miss Chirico made the following points:

(i)         She had experience working within the Crown Prosecution Service. This experience included various leadership roles, working with prisons and mentoring prisoners, undertaking work to support victims, and sitting on scrutiny panels as a statutory stakeholder;

(ii)        She had worked within several police force areas and understood national issues within the criminal justice system;

(iii)       She had a political background. She had sat as a unitary councillor and had campaigned for election as an MP. Her role as a councillor included working on a cross-party basis and with community leaders to resolve local issues. In addition to this, she had sat on a young person’s scrutiny panel and was involved in decision making relating to education;

(iv)      During a political campaign for election as an MP, she had focussed on reducing anti-social behaviour and increasing diversionary activities for young people;

(v)        She understood the importance of prevention work and identifying the route cause behind crime;

(vi)      She had undertaken work to support victims of domestic violence with a particular focus on removing barriers for reporting crimes and increasing conviction rates;

(vii)     If appointed to the role of DPCC, she would undertake to Chair the Local Criminal Justice Board, work closely with partners from statutory and non-statutory organisations, and work towards to identifying and protecting vulnerable people across the police force area;

(viii)    She understood the importance of operational independence and personal independence and would apply this knowledge to the role of DPCC. Were the PCC to pursue a course of action that she felt was unwise she would have a conversation with the PCC, make him aware of her feelings and consider using data to illustrate her point but be careful not to continue to pursue the matter further than was welcome;

(ix)      She also understood the importance for a transparent, good working relationship with the Police and Crime Commissioner. In addition, she understood that public scrutiny from the Police and Crime Panel could highlight where improvements could be made across the force area;

(x)        With regards to ensuring that she acted fairly across the County, City  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

The public are likely to be excluded during the following item of business in accordance with Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972:-

Panel deliberations on the proposed appointment of a Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner.

RESOLVED:

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and, in all circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information:

·       Panel deliberations on the proposed appointment of a Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner.

The Panel, having gone into exempt session, considered the statement and answers provided by Miss Chirico to their questions, in addition to the introduction and responses to questions provided by the PCC and all relevant paperwork provided.

RESOLVED:

In accordance with the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and following consideration of the information submitted to it, the Panel recommends that the candidate is appointed to the position of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner.

The Panel determined that the candidate understood the role, met the criteria, and will be fully committed to carrying out her duties as Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner. The panel made some observations about the appointment noting that whilst they were satisfied that Miss Chirico had undertaken work to support individuals from a variety of backgrounds, they recommend that she extends her knowledge of the whole police force area with a particular focus on the diversity of communities within Leicester Leicestershire and Rutland. The Panel will be keen to receive feedback on how Miss Chirico aims to support diverse communities across the police force area through Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner update reports, which are presented at meetings of the Police and Crime Panel.

The next meeting of the Panel is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 5 February 2025 at 2.00pm.

RESOLVED:

It was noted that the next meeting of the Police and Crime Panel would be held on 5 February 2025 at 14:00.