Agenda and minutes

The Panel is asked to appoint a Chairman and Vice-Chairman for a period of

one year.

Election of Chairman

1. The Panel proposed and seconded Brad Watson as Chairman of the Panel for

the forthcoming year. The appointment was agreed by the Panel.

2. Resolved – that Brad Watson is elected Chairman of the Sussex Police and

 Crime Panel for the ensuing year.

3. The Chairman welcomed both new and returning members to the Panel and

advised that if members required any advice or support on the work of the Panel to please contact Ninesh Edwards.

4. The Chairman thanked previous members of the Panel for their service. He

further thanked Carl Rushbridge, Chief Finance Officer (OSPCC) for his work for the Police and Crime Panel Panel and wished him well for his upcoming move

Election of Vice-Chairman

5. The Panel proposed and seconded Bill Bentley as Vice-Chairman of the Panel

for the forthcoming year. The appointment was agreed by the Panel.

6. Resolved – that Bill Bentley is elected Vice-Chairman of the Sussex Police and

 Crime Panel for the ensuing year.

Members and officers must declare any pecuniary or personal interest in any business on the agenda. They should also make declarations at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting. Consideration should be given to leaving the meeting if the nature of the interest warrants it. If in doubt contact Democratic Services, West Sussex County Council before the meeting.

Declarations of Interest

7.    In accordance with the code of conduct members of the Panel declared the personal interests contained in the table below.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting on 22 January 2016

8.     Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of the Sussex Police and Crime Panel held on 22 January 2016 be confirmed as a correct record.

Items not on the agenda which the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

Report by the Clerk to the Police and Crime Panel

The Panel is required to undertake an annual review of proportionality to

take account of any changes to the political composition of constituent

authorities during the course of the previous year. The report

provides the latest political composition of local authorities in Sussex and a

calculation of proportionality of the Panel.

The Panel is also required to consider the appointment of those members of

the Panel with a one year term of office including Independent Co-opted

Members, and one additional member from each of the two county councils

in Sussex to address any perceived imbalance in political proportionality.

The Panel is also asked to amend its Constitution to allow the appointment of

substitutes for Independent Co-opted Members, and to appoint an individual

to that role.

Review of Panel Membership and Proportionality

9.     The Panel considered a report by the Clerk to the Panel which set out the political makeup of the Panel’s constituent authorities (copy appended to the signed version of the minutes). The Panel was asked if it approved the appointment and reappointment of the independent co-opted members; if the County Councils in Sussex should provide a second representative; and the political affiliation of any additional County Council members.

10.    Resolved – that the Panel agrees:

1.    To renew the appointment of Mr Graham Hill, Independent Co-opted            Member, to take effect immediately;  

2.    The appointment of Mr Peter Nightingale as an Independent Co-opted Member of the Panel for a one-year term, renewable for up to five years;

3.    To amend its Constitution to permit Independent Co-opted Members to have substitutes (per para 2.8);

4.    The appointment of Ms Susan Scholefield as a substitute Independent Co-opted Member

5.    To invite both of East and West Sussex County Councils to appoint an additional local authority member (see para 2.16), for a one-year period of office; and

6.    The appointment of a Liberal Democrat councillor from East Sussex County Council, and a United Kingdom Independence Party councillor from West Sussex County Council, to take effect immediately.

A maximum of 45 minutes will be allowed for questions from the public to

the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Panel.

Better responses can be provided when we receive advance notice of

questions. Therefore it would be helpful if questions could be submitted by

noon on 27 June to allow substantive answers to be provided. If you intend

asking a question of the Commissioner or the Panel under this section of the

agenda please can you contact Rachel Allan prior to the meeting by calling

0330 22 28966 or email pcp@westsussex.gov.uk.

The questioner will be able to ask his/her question at the meeting, to which

the Commissioner will provide a verbal response. On hearing the response,

the questioner will have the opportunity to ask a supplementary question

(one further question, which must be on the same subject as the original

question). Supplementary questions, due to their nature, need not be

submitted in advance. Members of the Panel may be allowed to pose followup

questions, at the discretion of the Chairman. In the event that the

questioner is unable to attend the Chairman can ask the question on their

behalf.

Questions can be posed to the Commissioner or to the Panel.

Questions to the Commissioner:

• Should relate to the role of the Commissioner, (strategic/policy

issues), and not to operational matters or to individual grievances.

• Must not be defamatory, frivolous, vexatious or offensive

• Must not require the disclosure of confidential information

Questions to the Panel:

• Should relate to the role of the Panel (which is to hold the PCC to

account).

• Must not be defamatory, frivolous, vexatious or offensive

• Must not require the disclosure of confidential information

Public Question Time

11.    The Chairman introduced the public question time which was an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions of the Panel and the Commissioner. No members of the public attended to ask a question.

12.    The Chairman received a question in advance of the meeting to Mr Carrick of Peacehaven. He stated that he was a resident and home owner in Peacehaven and noted that he paid approximately 11% of his council tax for the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, which could equate in total across Peacehaven, Telscombe and East Saltdean to in excess of £1.5 million. However as there were no PCSOs and the nearest full time Police Station would be in Lewes, he asked how Sussex Police could justify this charge as value for money and what steps would they take to provide a proper service to the public to obviate drugs, petty crime and vandalism, which was on the increase. The Commissioner thanked Mr Carrick for his question, and advised that a recent inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), her office had been rated as one of the most cost efficient in the country, as well as having the forth lowest precept in the country. She added that she regularly challenged the Chief Constable through her monthly PAM meetings, and had also held numerous public engagement events throughout Sussex. She further advised that the new PCSO model would be rolled our today, which would lead to better flexibility, more enhanced powers and better resilience for the public.

13.    In relation to the above question, the Panel raised the following issues to the Commissioner:

·         Concerns were raised by many Panel members to the changes in reduction of PCSOs across Sussex, specifically the loss of local knowledge and the complete loss in some areas of PCSOs as they would be based in larger towns. The Commissioner explained that PCSOs would be provided with better technology which would allow
them to be more responsive and flexible in order to service the greatest
need. She added that the new teams would also build a local knowledge of areas throughout Sussex.

·         Panel members requested that the changes to PCSOs were reviewed at an appropriate time to ensure that the public was receiving a satisfactory services. The Commissioner assured the Panel that she would continue to hold Chief Constable to account and review any changes as necessary.

·         Concerns were also raised regarding the recruitment of PCSOs as there were a number of vacancies across Sussex. The Commissioner advised the Panel that there had been a recruitment process, and that many new PCSOs were currently in training.

·         Members of the Panel felt that communication in some areas of Sussex in regard to the PCSOs changes had not been sufficient. The Commissioner set out the communication that had taken place in specific areas, and the range of local engagement events that had occurred. She advised that there was a new community messaging service available and added  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

Report by the Police and Crime Commissioner

The Police and Crime Panel is required to review the Commissioner’s annual

report. The Commissioner will outline the attached annual report which

provides an update on the performance against the priorities, objectives and

measures set out in the Police and Crime Plan for the period 1 April 2015 –

31 March 2016.

The Panel is asked to review, put questions to the Commissioner, and make

recommendations on the annual report if necessary. All recommendations

agreed by the Panel will be published in a report from the Chairman to the

Commissioner.

Police and Crime Commissioner Annual Report

14.    The Panel considered the Commissioner’s Annual Report (copy appended to the signed version of the minutes) which provided an update of the Commissioner performance against the priorities, objectives and measures as set out in the Police and Crime Plan for the period 1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016. The report also provided information relating to the progress made by the Commissioner in 2015/16 across each of the four priority areas.

15.    The Commissioner introduced the report. She advised the Panel that priority areas had been identified, but would change as work went forward. She confirmed that, even though she had a reducing budget, she had allocated £280K to supporting local projects, and that the same level of funding had been allocated to support community safety partnerships across Sussex.

16.   The Commissioned explained that she was encouraging the increase in reporting of crime, and added that the establishment of an Elder’s Commission to hear the voice of older people had built on the success of the Youth Commission.

17.    The Chief Finance Officer took the Panel through the financial report, as set out in the appendices to the report. He advised on the areas of underspend and overspend as part of the budget, and highlighted key areas to the Panel.

18.    The Panel raised the following issues with the Commissioner:

·         The panel reiterated concerns regarding the changes to PCSOs in Sussex. The Commissioner advised that she has been listening to the Panel’s concerns and would ensure that the new arrangements were reviewed. She added that the model had not been charged since its implementation, and with the nature of crime changing, it was important to have a robust model.

·         Members of the Panel highlighted the importance of road safety. The Commissioner agreed with the Panel’s concerns regarding road safety, and advised that Sussex Police had a focus on this area, specifically anti-social driving, working alongside the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership.

·         The continued support of the Community Safety Partnerships was welcomed.

·         It was confirmed that Sussex Police would not be able to claim a rebate for policing undertaken as part of Operation Bowdell (Shoreham Air Show crash).

·         The Panel questions the joint working that was being undertaken with Surrey Police. The Commissioner explained that as part of the savings that she was required to find, more joint working would occur with Surrey which would achieve efficiencies.

·         The Commissioner assured the Panel that the Safer in Sussex Community Fund was audited all information was provided on the web.

·         The Panel questioned whether PCSOs were allowed to attend local town and parish meetings. The Commissioner explained that, as part of the new arrangements, PCSOs would not be able to attend all meetings, but that they could be invited to relevant meetings when necessary.

·         The Panel complemented a recent Sussex Police drug operation that had involved police dogs from Surrey Police.

·         The Panel reiterated the importance of evidence and measures in assessing changes to the policing model.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

The PCC has a statutory duty to set the police and crime objectives for their

area through a Police & Crime Plan.

The Panel is asked to agree for the Police and Crime Plan Working Group to

act as a critical friend to development of the Plan.

The Panel is further asked to note the current membership, to appoint an

Independent Member to the Group, and make any other changes to the

membership as appropriate.

·         Bill Bentley, East Sussex County Council

·         Tony Nicholson, Lewes District Council

·         Dave Simmons, Adur District Council

·         Brad Watson OBE, West Sussex County Council (Chairman)

·         Vacancy, Independent Member

Report by the Clerk to the Police and Crime Panel

The Host Authority is required to submit to the Panel an annual budget

report (attached) detailing income and expenditure of the Panel during the

previous year. The report also includes a summary of the main achievements

of the Panel over the last year.

The Panel is asked to consider and comment on the annual budget report.

22.      The Panel considered the annual report from the Clerk to the Police and Crime Panel (copy appended to the signed copy of the minutes) which provided the annual budget report setting out the costs of the operation of the Panel over the course of the last year and a summary of the main achievements of the Panel.

23.      Members of the Panel thanked the host authority for the training that had taken place, and from the training it was greed that future meetings of the Panel should start later in order for a pre meeting for members to take place.

24.     Resolved – that the Panel:

1.    Notes the budget outturn for 2015/16.

2.    Agrees that future meetings of the Sussex Police and Crime Panel commence at 11am, with a pre meeting at 10am.

Report by the Clerk to the Police and Crime Panel

The Panel is asked to agree the attached Work Plan for 2016/17 and suggest

any further topics to be added to the work programme as either agenda

items or for the establishment of a Working Group.

25.       The Panel considered the Work Plan of the Panel for 2016/17 (copy appended to the signed minutes). The Chairman invited the Panel to make any comments on the topics highlighted in the Work Programme and make suggestions on any further topics that should be considered by the Panel.

26.      Resolved – That the Panel agreed the Work Plan.

The Panel is asked to consider the report of any complaints

received since the previous meeting in January 2016 and the initial handling

of complaints by the Monitoring Officer. The report also provides progress on

those complaints previously reported to the Police and Crime Panel.

Four correspondents have contacted the Panel since its last meeting.

27.      The Panel received and noted a report providing an update on complaints received in the last quarter.

Written questions may be submitted by members of the public up to two

weeks in advance of a meeting for which the Panel Chairman and

Commissioner will be invited to provide a response by noon of the day before

the meeting.

There have been 6 written questions received prior to this meeting of the

Panel. The questions to the Commissioner and the responses provided are

attached for the Panel to note.

Please can members ensure that any supplementary questions relate to the

subject matter of the written question.

28.      The Panel received and noted the schedule of written questions submitted prior to the meeting and the responses from the Commissioner’s Office (copy appended to the signed copy of the minutes).

29.       The Panel asked the Commissioner to provide comments on the Sussex wide review on the reporting of domestic violence.

The Panel is asked to raise any issues or queries concerning crime and

policing in Sussex with the Commissioner.

30.      The Panel raised the following issues and questions to the Commissioner:

·         The Commissioner confirmed she was unable to comment on reporting that a division tasked with spying on alleged extremists has been tracking the political activities of Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP, since an inquiry was currently underway.

·         The Panel questioned whether the level of PCSOs was acceptable in the interim of the new model being fully implemented. The Commissioner explained that this was a period of change, and that after the model had been fully implemented, Sussex would have its full complement of PCSOs.

·         Following the EU referendum, the Panel asked if the Commissioner was confident that Sussex Police had done enough to encourage the reporting of hate crime. The Commissioner confirmed that there had been no reported rise, but was aware of people’s resistance in reporting, and that further work in encouraging reporting was being undertaken.

·         The Panel asked if the Commissioner regretted comments she made after the EU referendum, comparing it to the modern Peasant’s Revolt. The Commissioner explained that she was referring to an uprising of the people, and that this comment was meant purely as a remark about a historic event that happened.

·         The Chairman asked for an update on the potential for the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner to take over fire and rescue services. The Commissioner explained that she made contact with appropriate bodies, and was building a business case to asses this. Once this assessment had taken place, she was happy to share the results with the Panel.

31.       The Panel agreed an adjournment at 13:15 p.m. Johanna Howell, Kevin Jenkins, Michael Jones, Tony Nicholson and Chris Saint, left the meeting at 12:45 p.m. The meeting reconvened at 2 p.m.

The attached report sets out the procedure to be followed at confirmation

hearings.

32.      The Panel received and note the procedure to be followed at confirmation hearings of the Panel (copy appended to the signed version of the minutes)

The report (attached) by the Police and Crime Commissioner provides details

of the proposed appointment of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Chief

Finance Officer. The Annexes to the report comprise information from the

Police and Crime Commissioner regarding the proposed appointment. The

Panel will ask the candidate questions relating to their professional

competence and personal independence, based on the background

information provided, and request details on how the candidate meets the

requirements in the role profile.

33.       The Panel considered a report by the Police and Crime Commissioner concerning the proposed appointment of the Chief Finance Officer of the Office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner. The Chief Executive of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner introduced the candidate, Iain McCulloch and explained the selection process to make the proposed appointment. The candidate answered questions on the following topics:

·         Developing new skills;

·         Examples of challenging the accepted wisdom of the organisation;

·         What success in the role looked like;

·         Key elements in achieving value for money;

·         Building relationships with key external partners;

·         Innovation;

·         Financial challenges; and

·         Advising the Commissioner against an unwise act.

34.      The Panel thanked Carl Rushbridge, the departing Chief Finance Officer for his assistance and wished him well in the future.

Exclusion of Press and Public

35.      Resolved – That under Section 100(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1, of Schedule 12 A, of the Act by virtue of the paragraph specified under the item and that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption of that information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Determination of recommendations to the Police and Crime Commissioner

Exempt: paragraph 1, Information about individuals

36.     The Panel considered the appointment of the proposed Chief Finance Officer of the Office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner and agreed to recommended that the proposed candidate be appointed. The Panel was content that the professional competence and personal independence of the candidate had been established.

The next meeting of the Police and Crime Panel will take place on Friday 23 September 2016 at County Hall, Lewes.

The Panel is asked to note the forthcoming meeting dates:

• Friday 20 January 2017

• Thursday 20 February 2017 (Provisional meeting, if required, to consider the revised precept)

• Friday 7 April 2017

37.       The next meeting date of 23 September 2016 was noted.

The meeting ended at 2.58 p.m.