Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed those present and led introductions.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Loydall, Councillor Stephenson and the City Mayor.

It was noted that Councillor Harvey was present as a substitute for Councillor Stephenson.

Councillor Cutkelvin gave apologies that she may have to leave the meeting before its conclusion.

Members to receive a report with details of the recruitment process which took place for two co-opted Independent Member vacancies on the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Panel, and to formally introduce the two persons appointed.

Members will be asked to endorse the Appointment Panels selection decision and to formally appoint the two co-opted Independent Members to the Panel.

Members received a report providing details of the recruitment process which took place to fill two co-opted Independent Member vacancies on the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Panel and to formally introduce the two persons appointed.

It was clarified that one of the appointed candidates resided in Leicester and one of the appointed candidates resided in the Borough of Oadby and Wigston.

Members were asked to endorse the appointment panels selection decision and to formally appoint the two co-opted Independent Members to the Panel.

RESOLVED:

1. That Ms Salma Manzoor be appointed as a co-opted Independent Member to the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Panel for a term of 4 years until 1^st February 2026.

2.  That Ms Parisha Chavda be appointed as a co-opted Independent Member to the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Panel for a term of 4 years until 1^st February 2026.

Members will be asked to declare any interests they have in the business on the agenda.

Members were asked to declare any pecuniary or other interest they may have in the business on the agenda.

There were no declarations.

The minutes of the meeting and the confirmation hearing held on 2^nd December 2021 are attached and Members will be asked to confirm they are an accurate record.

It was noted that Councillor Harper-Davies attended both the meetings held on 2^nd December 2021.

RESOLVED:

That subject to the amendment above, the minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd December 2021 and the minutes of the Confirmation Hearing held on 2^nd December 2021 be confirmed as an accurate record.

Members to receive a report setting out the proposed precept 2022-23 and the medium term financial plan (MTFP).

Members will be asked to comment and note the contents of the report.

Members will also be asked to support the proposal to increase the 2022-23 Precept by £10.00 per annum (4.03%) for police purposes to £258.23 for a Band D property.

The Police and Crime Commissioner submitted a report setting out the proposed precept 2022-23 and the medium term financial plan (MTFP).

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) introduced the report setting out the context for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) with key information relating to the policing area, the external factors that drove demand and had significant impact on policing as well as background in relation to previous funding raised locally and the split between Home Office (Core Grant) funding and council tax (pre-cept) funding.

It was noted that:

·         There was a typographical error at paragraph 3, the word “deficit” should be amended to read “surplus”.

·         The provisional Police Grant Settlement announced on 16^th December 2021 was still provisional and should be confirmed soon.

·         The tax base used in setting the budget was 334,807 Band D equivalent properties which was a modest rise (approx. 1.65%) compared to 2021-22 of 329,286 Band D equivalent properties.

·         The Home Office had confirmed that to maximise council tax income for 2022/23 PCC’s could increase their precept on a Band D property by up to £10 without triggering a referendum.

The PCC referred to the current economic climate and advised that a lot of consideration had gone into how services could continue to be delivered against the backdrop of the LLR force being one of the lowest funded in the country. In terms of funding, the PCC assured the panel he would continue to seek to get an improved Core Grant from the Home Office, however the increase in the pre-cept was vital to enable the force to protect people today and into the future, and to provide a sustainable police service.

In terms of the public consultation, it was noted there were more than 2500 respondents with over 72% agreeing to the proposal to pay £10 more through precept on a band D property, such increase would equate to 19p per week. The PCC advised that feedback from people across LLR had been considered and this budget was built in response to the expectations of the public and to support the Police and Crime Plan and the areas where the PCC wanted to see improvements.

The Chief Constable addressed the panel referring to the process for determining the budget, having regard to the emerging police and crime plan and indicated his support for the proposed £10 precept rise which would enable the force to achieve sustainability. The Chief Constable drew comparison to last year’s discussion when the budget was based upon reserves noting that the situation was now different, and this budget was about finding a stable place. In terms of police officer growth, it was suggested this budget would allow the force to maintain 2242 officers which accords with the national uplift requirement whilst ensuring the 2021/22 recruitment profile continued and was delivered.

The Chief Constable referred to the demands on the force, including increased calls and online reporting, safeguarding responsibilities as well as the challenges of dealing with crimes that increasingly  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76.

Members will receive a report updating on Police recruitment and retention as well as the Force 1 in 4 commitment to be representative of the population of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Members will be asked to comment on and note the contents of the report.

Councillor Cutkelvin left the meeting during this item.

Members received a report providing an update on recruitment and retention with details of the Force 1 in 4 commitments to be representative of the population of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

The PCC introduced the report providing background and context to the Force 1 in 4 commitments and continuing desire to be representative of the population of LLR together with an overview of data including examples of historical trends and question sets used to gauge socio-economic factors linked to recruitment.

Members queried the necessity of the socio-economic questions; how they affected or added to the recruitment process especially as positive discrimination was illegal and what steps were taken to ensure people less socially mobile were recruited. There was also some discomfort at the relevance of some of the questions i.e., eligibility for free school meals.

The PCC recognised that positive discrimination was illegal, and these questions were a standard format, as recommended from central government. The PCC also replied that it was important to encourage recruitment from areas that were underrepresented, acknowledging that some recruits might face hostility from their communities for joining the police force and the PCC was keen to overcome that. The PCC was also keen to make the force as broadly representative of the LLR population as a whole and did not want to be in a situation for example of having no working class police officers, or none from rural areas or none from the city centre, the force needed to be a balanced police force in terms of its demographic and geographic profile. The PCC explained that it was important to monitor where officers and staff were coming from and to capture data such as gender, ethnicity etc., and to analyse that and make efforts to reduce the barriers to people joining the police.

The Chief Constable advised that there was an emphasis within the national uplift programme to broaden representation across the force and it was noted that a third of the force were staff, so this was not just about police officer representation. Recruitment campaigns were run across the whole area rather than just an advert in a local paper and the numbers being recruited from different backgrounds had increased significantly over the past few years.

The PCC supported social mobility and whilst positive discrimination was illegal there were options to hold targeted recruitment events and to make sure that recruitment material was suitable, and that people involved in recruitment events/exercises could understand, empathise, and engage with people in communities that might otherwise be hard to reach.

It was queried whether there was any consideration to using young people in the recruitment process and the PCC agreed that there was a broader function for young people to be involved e.g., police cadets, not only to be recruited as potential future police officers but in projecting the police force positively out into communities.

Members briefly referred to graphs in appendix B depicting the change in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77.

Members to consider and note the ongoing work programme and make further suggestions for inclusion as appropriate.

The current work programme was received and noted, additional items arising from discussion in this meeting to be added.

·         OPCC Ethics and Transparency Committee report to come to April meeting of the panel.

·         S106 review work will be reconvened in February, panel secretariat to liaise with Interim Chief Finance Officer.

The Chair agreed to take an additional item to mention the forthcoming retirement of Chief Constable Simon Cole.

The PCC formally informed the panel that the Chief Constable Simon Cole would be retiring from the role he had undertaken for the last 12 years. The PCC gave an overview of the Chief Constables time in office and put on record his thanks for his leadership in the role.

The Chief Constable addressed the panel and those present recognising those he had worked with and the challenges of the role.

The PCC briefly outlined the recruitment plan for a new Chief Constable which in due course would require a confirmation hearing to be set up with panel members. In the meantime, it was noted that Deputy Chief Constable Nixon had been asked to step into the role as Acting Chief Constable until a permanent appointment was made.

The Chair and Members extended that thanks and gratitude for the work of the Chief Constable and wished him well in his retirement.

The next scheduled meeting will take place on Monday 14^th February 2022 at 12 noon at City Hall.

The Chair confirmed that the next meeting would be held on Monday 14^th February 2022 at 12 noon to consider the proposed Police and Crime Plan.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 3.00pm.