Background
The Policing in 21st Century white paper laid out plans for the Elected Individual who is now becoming known as the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
The Police Authority will decommission in 2012 and the new PCC will take over their responsibilities of holding local Police forces to account and provide a link between the police and local people.
The PCC
Election of the PCC will take place in 2012. The Police Authority will officially decommission in May 2012 but the current Police Authority Chief Executive may be requested to stay for up to six months to provide a hand-over period.
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The will be one PCC for each force area (i.e. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough)
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The PCC will be a Responsible Authority but only to work with the wider Criminal Justice System and not to be a statutory member on a Community Safety Partnership
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The PCC will be accountable to the new Police and Crime Panel (PCP) which will compromise of a minimum of 10 councillors and 2 independent members.
The Police and Crime Commissioner will:
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be responsible for appointing the local Police Chief Constable and hold him / her to account
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determine local policing priorities, publish an annual Policing Plan, set a local precept and force budget
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have the power to make community safety grants
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have control of all central government funding which currently goes to the Community Safety Partnerships; including Base Command Unit funding, DIP funding and Safer & Stronger Communities Funding.
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The PCC will be able to commission services from the Community Safety Partnerships and other local providers. The PCC will be able to commission 100% of services from a Community Safety Partnership or nothing at all.
The Police and Crime Panel
The role of the Police and Crime Panel is to hold the Commissioner to account and scrutinise his / her decisions.
Each local authority within a force area will be required to send an elected member to the Panel. It is likely that this Member will be the portfolio holder for community safety matters or, alternatively, the lead scrutiny member.
The Panel will have the power of veto over the appointment, suspension and dismissal of a Police Chief Constable and over the policing budget.
PCC and Community Safety Partnerships
With the introduction of a PCC, all local Community Safety Partnerships will have a new line of accountability and the PCC can request a report from any Community Safety Partnership to discuss areas of concern.
The PCC and all local authorities have a reciprocal duty to cooperate.
If two or more Community Safety Partnerships wish to merge, the PCC can approve the merger. However, the PCC cannot request partnerships to merge.
Community Safety Partnership plans should align with the local Policing Plan elaborated by the PCC although should retain a local focus.
All funding which currently goes to Community Safety Partnerships will in the future go directly to the PCC who can choose to commission a partnership to deliver community safety work.
However, the PCC has the right to commission any organisation to deliver this work so Community Safety Partnerships will have compete against each other and other providers from the private or voluntary sector.