Information about Wiltshire and Swindon Police and Crime
Panel:
The way police policy is formed in the UK has changed and
from November 2012 every police force has an elected police and
crime commissioner (PCC) to decide its priorities and
budgets. The PCC replaces the police authority. The Police
and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon is Angus Macpherson.
He can be contacted by telephone on 01380 734022 or by
email: pcc@wiltshire.pnn.police.uk
To hold the PCC to
account and scrutinize their work is the Wiltshire and Swindon
Police and Crime Panel (PCP), made up of 11 Councilors and two
independent co-opted members.
The panel fulfills
an important role in scrutinizing the work of
commissioner.
The changes are
about reconnecting the police and the people, which will be
achieved through a directly elected police
and crime commissioner.
It is the
commissioner who is taking on the role of the police authority and
who the public will hold to account for the performance of their
force.
He is tasked with
gathering the views of the local community on policing and crime
and incorporating these into their police and crime plan. Police
and crime panels will have a role in reviewing that plan and
ensuring that local priorities have been considered.
The police and
crime panel also has the power to scrutinize the activities of the
elected police and crime commissioner, including the ability to
review the police and crime plan and annual report, veto certain
decisions, request PCC papers and call the PCCs and chief
constables to public hearings.
The panel can also
seek a professional view regarding potential dismissals.
It will act as a
critical friend to commissioners – to support the
commissioner as well as challenge him or her.
The panel does have
some important decision-making powers in that it can veto the
precept and the chief constable appointment. These are powers that the PCP can use as a last
resort.
The
Police and Crime Panel is in public
from November 2012, and will continue to meet four to six times a
year at locations across the county.
Details of meeting
dates and committee papers are available on the
Wiltshire Council website.
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