TrLocal poli Police Accountability Written Evidence Section E - H 10 February 2015 Evidence Number Name Stakeholder category E29 Nigel Pearson, Chief Executive of Local government East Riding Council E30 Essex Police, Chief Constable Police force E31 Police and Crime Commissioner for Police and Crime Essex Commissioner E32 Essex Police and Crime Panel Police and Crime Panel Professor Francesca Gains Academics E33 (University of Manchester) and Professor Vivien Lowndes (University of Nottingham) Police and Crime Commissioner for Police and Crime E34 Gloucestershire Commissioner E35 Gloucestershire Police and Crime Police and Crime Panel Panel E36 Mr G Phillips Member of the public E37 Police and Crime Commissioner for Police and Crime Gwent Commissioner E38 Gwent Police and Crime Panel Police and Crime Panel E39 Police and Crime Commissioner for Police and Crime Hampshire Commissioner E40 Hampshire Police and Crime Panel Police and Crime Panel Office of the Police and Crime Police and Crime E41 Commissioner for Hertfordshire Commissioner Hertfordshire Police and Crime Police and Crime Panel E42 Panel Police and Crime Commissioner for Police and Crime E43 Humberside Commissioner RIDING HIRE COUNCIL County Hall Beverley East Riding of Yorkshire HU17 9BA Telephone (01482) 887700 www.eastriding.gov. uk Nigel Pearson Solicitor Chief Executive Committee on Standards in Public Life Your Ref: Room GCOS Our Ref: NP/TAC06176/ RES 1 Horse Guards Road Enquiries to : Nigel Pearson Email: nigel. [email protected]. uk London Tel Direct: 01482 391000 SW1A2HQ Date: 17 October 2014 [email protected] Dear Sirs Response of East Riding of Yorkshire Council to Humberside Police Force Redesign Plan I write in response to the Committee on Standards in Public Life call for submissions about the accountability to the public of Chief Constables under the elected Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) system introduced in November 2012. At Full Council on 8 October, Members agreed to send the Committee its overview and scrutiny panel report on the planned changes to the level of policing in the East Riding of Yorkshire due to be implemented within 6 months on 1 ·April 2015. The main finding from the Council's scrutiny panel is that the Police & Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable should have done more to engage and consult with statutory partners and the wider public on their radical plans for change within the Humberside Police Force. It is the Council's view that it holds the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner to account ~ under its scrutiny powers provided in the Local Government Act 2000 and the Police and Justice Act 2006. The Police and Justice Act 2006 Part 3, 19(1) states that "every local authority shall ensure that it has a committee with power (a) to review or scrutinise decisions made, or other action taken, in connection with the discharge by the responsible authorities of their crime and disorder functions." The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 Part 1 Chapter 1 Crime and Disorder Strategies defines 'responsible authorities' as: (a) The Council for the area, and (b) Every chief officer of police any part of whose police area lies within the area. v~ j ~ INVESTORS IGold ~ J IN PEOPLE '-"""'. - 2 - 17 October 2014 In addition under the Local Government Act 2000 Chapter 2. Section 9F 2(e) overview and scrutiny committees have power to "make reports or recommendations to the authority or executive on matters which affect the authority's area or the inhabitants of that area." However, the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner declined to attend the Council's scrutiny review panel and share the full details of Humberside Police's plan for the redesign of policing developed in response to the financial constraints it faces in future years The view taken by the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner was that the Chief Constable was held to account by the PCC and the PCC was held to account by the Police and Crime Panel. The Council was, therefore, prevented from fully carrying out its responsibilities on behalf of the public of the East Riding of Yorkshire. Further, Humberside Police's partners in tackling crime and disorder have also not had sufficient opportunity to fully share their views on the content of Humberside Police's redesign plan and how it may impact demand on their services and the cost shunting this may bring. The Police & Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable offered instead to attend a meeting of the Full Council with all 67 Members present but it was felt that this would not provide the same opportunity for effective scrutiny in the way review panels are set up to do in a smaller cross party group and non-political setting. In addition, the Council's scrutiny review panel met over several sessions and called for information from a wide range of partners and interested groups and was able to weigh-up the information available to reach its findings and conclusions. It is clear that the legislation that introduced Police and Crime Commissioners and Police and Crime Panels has muddied the waters as regards scrutiny and the holding to account of both the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner. The view taken by the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner at this level effectively excludes any local authority from scrutinising the decisions of either a Chief Constable or, more pertinently to your deliberations, a Police and Crim~ Commissioner. The Council's scrutiny panel felt that this limited their ability to scrutinise the changes being planned to policing in Humberside and it is felt that the local authorities' scrutiny powers to hold the Police & Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable to account therefore requires clarification. The Council considers that the Police & Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable could have made much more effort to engage and consult with the Council and the public in the East Riding during the development phase of their plan in the interests of openness and accountability. The Council hopes that the Committee on Standards in Public Life finds the attached report of interest and helpful in its deliberations. - 3- 17 October 2014 Please let me know if you require any further information. Yours faithfully () \ QC'V)~ Nigel Pearson Chief Executive Copy to Chief Constable, Humberside Police Response of East Riding of Yorkshire Council to Humberside Police Force Redesign Plan Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Review Panel October 2014 Approval by full Council At its meeting of 8 October 2014, East Riding of Yorkshire Council received this report, fully supported the findings of the Review Panel and approved all of the recommendations contained within this report. February 2 CONTENTS Pages 1. Chairman’s Foreword 1 2. Executive Summary 2-4 3. Review Panel Recommendations 5-6 4. Members of the Review Panel 7 5. Financial Implications 7 6. Methodology 7-8 7. Legislation and Guidance 8 8. Introduction 9 9. National Picture 10 10. Local Picture 11-12 11. Humberside Police Force Current Structure 13-14 12. Crime Figures for the East Riding and Humberside 15-18 13. ‘Building the Future’ - Humberside Police Force Redesign 19 14. The Panel’s Response to Humberside Police’s ‘Building the Future’ 20 Proposals 14.1 Consultation 20-21 15. Implementation Timeframe for ‘Building the Future’ 22 16. Reserves and Precept 23 17. IT and Mobile Technology 24-25 18. Reducing Demand & Customer Service 26 19. Neighbourhood Policing 27-28 20. Police Stations, Response Times and Estate Functions 29-31 21. Policing Numbers 32-33 22. Response from East Riding of Yorkshire Council Stakeholders 34-35 23. Conclusion 36 Table of Abbreviations and Terms 37 Bibliography 38 Acknowledgements 39 Appendix 1 Methodology and Scope 40-41 Appendix 2 The Work of the Council in Reducing Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime 42-45 and Disorder Appendix 3 Questions for the Police and Crime Commissioner and His Staff 46 Appendix 4 Questions for the Chief Constable and Her Staff 47-48 1. CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD 1.1 The East Riding of Yorkshire Council has a long history of supporting Humberside Police in helping them provide a vital service to reduce and prevent crime and doing much to create a sense of safety within our communities. 1.2 Alongside the police, working in partnership, East Riding of Yorkshire Council provides a range of services to deal with such issues as anti-social behaviour, domestic violence and youth offending. Much effective work is done through both organisations working together, and it is really important that this continues and develops further in the future in response to the financial challenges we both face. 1.3 I very much welcomed the opportunity to be Chairman of this review panel. The purpose of the review was to examine the operational restructuring of Humberside Police that is currently underway and to evaluate how changes in service structure and operation are likely to impact on residents in our area and the delivery of East Riding Council services. 1.4 The task of undertaking the review was not easy. The Panel faced the challenge of trying to assess the nature of the new police structure and service at a time when much of the detail had either not yet been developed or was only available in outline; a situation which was not helped by limited involvement in the review by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable. There was also time pressure; with the new service structure due to be operational from April 2015 we wanted to complete our report well in advance of that date in order to give it the opportunity to be fully considered.