Issue - meetings

The Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services submitted a summary of the Government’s proposals to transform the approach to local policing with a focus on those that had a significant impact on the Council.

The consultation for ‘Policing in the 21^st Century: Reconnecting Police and the People’ published on 26^th July set out the Government’s plans for police reform, some of which would become part of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill expected in the Autumn.

The proposals put forward were based on 3 key principles;-

1)     Transferring power back to the people through the introduction of directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners

2)     Transferring power away from national government through reducing bureaucracy

3)     Shifting the focus of government through the creation of a New Crime Agency

The document covered 5 distinct areas; The Challenge; Increasing Democratic Accountability; Removing Bureaucratic Accountability; A National Framework for Efficient Local Policing and finally Tackling Crime Together.  The 2 Chapters that were the most relevant and had the greatest impact on the work of the Council were:-

Chapter 2 - Increasing Democratic Accountability

Chapter 5 - Tackling Crime Together.

The report was considered at the Democratic Renewal Scrutiny Panel held on 16^th September, 2010.  Attached at Appendix A was a draft response, incorporating the Scrutiny Panel’s comments, to the questions set out in Chapters 2 and 5.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be noted.

(2)  That consultation response, as set out in Appendix A, be approved and the Chief Executive authorised to submit the final consultation response in accordance with the 20^th September deadline.

(3)  That a further detailed report be submitted on publication of the ‘Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill’.