Police & Crime Panel
Recommendations:
(1) To note that one representative to the shadow Police and Crime Panel for Essex is required to be appointed at the Annual Council meeting; and
(2) To consider whether a Cabinet member or representative of Overview & Scrutiny is to be appointed and recommend to Council accordingly
1. (Assistant to the Chief Executive) The Government requires that by July 2012, Essex Authorities should have in place operational arrangements for the new Police and Crime Panel for Essex so that once a Police and Crime Commissioner has been elected on 15November 2012, the Panel can take up its statutory duties.
2. The responsibilities of the Panel will comprise:
(a) requiring the Commissioner or a member of their staff to attend the Panel to
answer questions;
(b) requesting the Chief Constable attends the Panel to answer questions where
it has already required the Commissioner to appear before the Panel;
(c) appointing an acting Commissioner from amongst the Commissioner’s staff if
the Commissioner has resigned, has been disqualified from office, or is
incapacitated or suspended;
(d) vetoing the Commissioner’s proposed precept if two-thirds of the members of
the Panel vote in favour of doing so;
(e) vetoing the Commissioner’s proposed appointment of a Chief Constable if
two-thirds of the members of the Panel vote in favour of doing so;
(f) reviewing the Commissioner’s draft Police and Crime Plan; and
(g) holding confirmation hearings for the Commissioner’s proposed Chief
Executive, Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Police and Crime
Commissioner appointments; and deal with complaints made about the PCC.
3. It is intended that Essex County Council will “host” the Panel. It is suggested that all authorities contribute annually to the costs of establishing and operating the Panel, with each district/borough paying £2000, the unitary authorities £6000 each and the County Council £15000. A review of the resource requirements will take place once the Panel has been operational for a 12/18 month period. Funding will be considered by this Council’s Cabinet once the available financial resources have been identified.
4. It is intended that the Panel will operate in “shadow” form from June to November 2012 and to achieve this the Council was invited to nominate one representative by the end of March 2012. Councillor membership of the Panel, when taken together, should reflect the political balance of the force area.
5. At a recent Essex District/Borough Leaders and Chief Executives’ meeting it was suggested that councils should nominate their Portfolio Holder covering community safety or, alternatively, a Chairman within Overview and Scrutiny Committee covering community safety.
6. This matter was considered at the Council meeting on 27 March 2012 and the proposed appointment was deferred.