Issue - meetings

Issue - meetings

Police and Crime Panel update

 

 

Meeting: 06/04/2017 - City Executive Board (became Cabinet on 13 May 2019) (Item 159)

159 Scrutiny Response: Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel pdf icon PDF 118 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cllr Gant, Chair of the Scrutiny Committee presented the report.

 

Cllr Sinclair, Board Member for Community Safety accepted the recommendations and would present them to the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel (TVPCP) tomorrow night.

 

Cllr Price suggested that any relevant TVPCP decisions for Oxford could be advertise on the City Council website.

Meeting: 28/02/2017 - Scrutiny Committee (Item 95)

95 Police and Crime Panel update pdf icon PDF 122 KB

 

Background Information

The Scrutiny Committee requested an update on the work of the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel (PCP) which exists to examine and review how the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Thames Valley Anthony Stansfeld, carries out his responsibilities.

Why is it on the agenda?

For the Committee to receive a briefing on the work of the PCP and provide comment.  The following documents are included:

·         Report of the Chair of Thames Valley PCP;

·         Police and Crime Plan for the Thames Valley;

·         Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel Annual Report.

 

The Chair has suggested the following lines of inquiry:

·         How effective are the powers available to the PCP in holding the PCC to account and how can the PCP add value?

·         What role does the PCP have in reviewing the precept and what criteria are used?

·         Does the PCP have a role in ensuring that neighbourhood police teams are adequately resourced?

·         What involvement has the PCP had in priority areas such as preventing CSE, FGM and human trafficking, and enhancing support for victims with mental health needs?

·         What are the priorities for the next Police and Crime Plan?

Who has been invited to comment?

·         Cllr Dee Sinclair, Board Member for Community Safety and Oxford City Council representative on Thames Valley PCP;

·         Clare Gray, Police and Crime Panel Scrutiny Officer.

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cllr Dee Sinclair, Board Member for Community Safety and Oxford City Council’s representative on Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel (PCP) presented the report.

 

She explained that the Panel consists of 20 members from across the Thames Valley, 18 councillors and 2 independents. The Independent members have backgrounds in victim support and cybercrime. The panel is predominately made up of conservative members and meets in Aylesbury 6 times a year. Each meeting is themed.

 

The PCC has appointed Matt Barber, Leader of the Vale of White Horse as deputy. The position of deputy has been around since 2012 but the panel has not yet been informed of Mr Barber’s specific responsibilities.

 

Clare Gray, Police and Crime Panel Scrutiny Officer said the Thames Valley PCC budget had reduced by £88m over 6 years, a 25% saving of overall budget. Part of the budget is to consider reducing the assets of the police force eg St Aldate’s police station with proviso that there is a city centre police presence.

 

The Panel ran a taxi licensing themed meeting where they looked at taxi licensing issues across the Thames Valley and discussed the need for a regional database. The PCC is trying to raise the issues of the taxi licensing regime at the national level but is not getting much response.

 

Cllr Sinclair said she uses the panel to inform the representatives from the other districts of the issues faced in the city ie safeguarding, human trafficking. However the Panel’s powers are limited by the legislation and can only bring things to the attention of the PCC. There is very limited public interest in the process.

 

Cllr Henwood asked whether there were plans to have a themed meeting on safeguarding across the area. Cllr Sinclair said that the Panel’s Scrutiny Officer could propose it but safeguarding is touched on in a lot of what we already do.

 

The Scrutiny Committee agreed the following recommendations to CEB

 

That CEB suggest to the PCC that the Panel meetings are rotated around the Thames Valley to encourage public engagement and to focus on local issues.

 

That the PCC meetings are promoted through council media outlets.