Agenda item

Members to receive a report which informs the Panel of the changes to the Ethics, Integrity and Complaints Committee and the recruitment timelines moving forward.

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

The Panel considered a report which outlined the proposed changes to the Ethics, Integrity and Complaints Committee and the recruitment timelines moving forward.

The Police and Crime Commissioner introduced the report by outlining his intention of making the re-constituted Ethics, Integrity and Complaints Committee a powerful tool in assisting his office in monitoring the moral, transparency, and ethical aspects of the Police Force, especially in light of public concerns around the case of Sarah Everard. He felt that the terms of reference for the Committee reflected this intention. He noted that applications for the Committee were still welcomed until 12^th December 2021 and noted that 12 applications had already been received. He further noted that the Membership of the Committee would be regularly changed, and it was intended to reflect the Force area’s diverse population. Progress reports on the work of the Committee would be reported regularly to the Panel.

The report, the establishment of the Committee and its focus on integrity and transparency was welcomed. Members felt reassured about the Panel membership in being independent of mind and representative of the diverse communities of the City and Counties. It was noted that a report would be received at the next meeting on the background of successful candidates to the Ethics and Transparency Panel.

Concern was however expressed about the removal of the whole Committee which was previously in place and whether there had been engagement with the previous Committee. The Police and Crime Commissioner clarified that the previous Committee had been disbanded, as part of a review of all Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner structures and that past Members were able to apply for the new Committee. There had been no recent challenges by prior members of the committee about disbanding, but some emails had been exchanged. It was noted that prior Members did not have an employed status, instead being an independent committee who had been paid an allowance.

Members questioned the changes in the Terms of Reference between the old and newly established Committee, to which the Police and Crime Commissioner clarified that the report highlighted the key differences between both bodies, where the prior Panel’s Terms of Reference had been changed annually, leading to confusion about the committee’s duty and responsibilities.

The Police and Crime Commissioner stressed that the intention for reconstituting the Ethics Committee had been to address a variety of factors, including the regularity in which reports are brought to the PCP as well as to reassure the public on the ethical and transparent basis of reviewing the Police Force, not to criticize the work of the prior Committee.

The Panel welcomed the two-year term change in Panel membership, referring to charity boards which did the same thing to allow for renewal and diversity of thought.

The Chairman thanked the Police and Crime Commissioner for the report.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the report and comments made by the Panel be noted.

2.    That a report on the successful applicants to the Ethics, Integrity and Complaints Committee be submitted to the Police and Crime Panel at a future meeting.