Agenda and minutes

Members of the Panel were asked for nominations for the Chair of the Panel for the 2022/23 Municipal Year.

Both Councillors Keith McLean and Robin Bradburn were nominated and seconded to be appointed as Chair of the Panel for 2022/23 Municipal Year.

Upon being put to the vote, Councillor Keith McLean was appointed as Chair of the Panel for the 2022/23 Municipal Year.

Members of the Panel were asked for nominations for the Vice-Chair of the Panel for the 2022/23 Municipal Year.

Both Councillors Robin Bradburn and Eddie Reeves were nominated and seconded to be appointed as Vice-Chair of the Panel for 2022/23 Municipal Year.

Upon being put to the vote, Councillor Eddie Reeves was appointed as Vice-Chair of the Panel for the 2022/23 Municipal Year.

An apology for absence was submitted by Councillor Maria Gee (Wokingham Borough Council).

To agree the Minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2022 as a correct record.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2022 were agreed as a correct record subject to the following amendments:

Councillor Sam Casey-Rerhaye be added to the list of Members present and Minute No.20/22 – Minutes – The Minutes agreed should read 8 April 2022.

11.05am

The PCC will present his annual report for 2021/22 and the Panel will ask the PCC to outline progress made in meeting the five priorities outlined in his Police and Criminal Justice Plan 2021-2025.

Under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, the Police and Crime Commissioner was required to produce and publish an Annual Report which summarised the exercise of the PCC’s functions in each financial year and the progress which had been made in the financial year in meeting the objectives contained in the PCC’s Police and Criminal Plan.

At the start of this item, Members of the Panel praised both the PCC and Thames Valley Police for the policing operation carried out in Windsor for the Queen’s funeral.

The PCC also wished to place on record his thanks to the huge logistical operation which took place for the Queen’s Funeral.  

The PCC reported that the report provided progress made in meeting the six priority areas detailed in his Police and Criminal Justice Plan 2021-25.

Members’ Questions

(1)           Reference was made to the strong local policing priority, and the PCC was asked how this could be a priority, when neighbourhood policing resources were being diminished across Thames Valley. An example was given of policing in rural areas, where one Team consisting of one sergeant, one police constable and two PCSOs, covered four rural villages. This could not be regarded as strong local policing. How was the PCC to ensure that the public would get strong local policing, which was paid for through the police precept?

[The PCC replied that he would not disagree with what was said. The influx of new officers had protected elements of their training which meant that more experienced officers were extracted from their normal duties to support the new police constables. The PCC said he had raised this with the Home Office as he saw this has a flaw of the current regime.

Neighbourhood policing was important; however, policing resources were having to deal with lots of other concerns from the public. Dealing with 999 and 101 calls were a priority.

The PCC commented that local policing was not just about neighbourhood policing, neighbourhood police would still be policing as part of response teams. The only way to resolve this would be working with the new Chief Constable on using police resources efficiently across all the policing areas. The model of policing is built around response policing.  Neighbourhood policing should be about crime prevention.

Visibility was a good thing, however, the PCC commented that it was more important to him to see the Police making more arrests.]

(2)           The PCC was asked what was the response from the Metropolitan Police to the number of PCCs who had expressed concern regarding the Metropolitan Police recruitment drive which included offering a “golden handshake” to officers in other forces?

[The PCC replied that it did pose a real risk to recruitment of officers transferring between forces. He was pleased to say that talking to officers, many have said they were tempted by the extra money, but they did enjoy working in Thames Valley and working for their local force. There had been an increase in the SE weighting which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27/22

12.05pm

For the first meeting of the Municipal Year, the Police and Crime Panel reviews its Rules of Procedure and Panel Arrangements. Consideration of the Rules of Procedure and Panel Arrangements also reminds Panel Members, particularly new Members of the role and functions of the Panel.

The Panel is requested to consider the following:

1.       That the Rules of Procedure and Panel Arrangements for the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel “the Panel” be updated (as attached in Appendix 1 and 2) to reflect the changes arising from the decision to the representation changes for Buckinghamshire Council and Milton Keynes Council.

2)       That the Panel notes that with the appointment of the new Chair of the Panel, that a decision is required on the Host Authority for the Panel. (see paragraph 3). 

3)       That the Panel reconfirms the decision that future meetings take place at Buckinghamshire Council’s Gateway House in Aylesbury.

4)       That approval be given to the process to appoint two new Independent Members to the Panel. (see paragraph 5).        

5)       That the Panel considers the memberships of the Panel’s Complaints Sub Committee (7 Members) and Budget Task and Finish Group (5 Members) and confirm the appointment of the Members detailed below (para. 5) and appoint Members to vacancies as required.

6)       That the established Complaints Sub-Committee and Task Group be agreed with no changes to their terms of reference for the following year (subject to any legislative changes) (Appendix 3).

7)       That details of the Home Office grant received for 2021/22 for the operation of the Panel by the Host Authority be noted. (see paragraph 7)

The Panel was provided with a report which included updated Rules of Procedure and Panel Arrangements, details of the Complaints Procedure, required appointments to the Panel’s Complaints Sub-Committee and Budget Task and Finish Group and details of the Home Office grant for 2021/22.

Members were informed that since the last meeting of the Panel, the two Independent Co-Opted Members have resigned, and the Panel was asked to agree the process for appointing two new Independent Co-Opted Members.

Discussion took place on the Hosting of the Panel, and the Chair informed Members he would discuss the hosting arrangements with his Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer.

An expression of interest to Host the Panel was given by Buckinghamshire Council and it was agreed that any other expressions of interest to Host the Panel be submitted to the Chair and the Scrutiny Officer to the Panel.

A decision would be taken at the next Panel meeting on the hosting arrangements after discussions have taken place between relevant officers within the existing Host Authority (Oxfordshire County Council) and authorities who have expressed an interest in hosting the Panel.

RESOLVED – (1).   That the Rules of Procedure and Panel Arrangements for the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel “the Panel” be updated (as attached in Appendix 1 and 2 to the report) to reflect the changes arising from the decision to the representation changes for Buckinghamshire Council and Milton Keynes Council.

(2)      That the Panel notes that with the appointment of the new Chair of the Panel, that a decision is required on the Host Authority for the Panel. It was agreed that this decision would be taken at the next meeting of the Panel after further discussions have taken place.

(3)      That the Panel reconfirms the decision that future meetings of the Panel continue to take place at Buckinghamshire Council’s Gateway House in Aylesbury.

(4)      That the Chair, Vice-Chair and Councillor Simon Rouse be appointed as the Members involved in the recruitment process for the appointment of the two new Independent Members to the Panel, with Councillor Karen Rowland also consulted throughout the process.            

(5)      That the following Members be appointed to the Panel’s Complaints Sub-Committee and Budget Task and Finish Group:-

Complaints Sub-Committee – (Councillor Balvinder Bains (Slough Borough Council), Councillor Peter Brazier (Co-Opted Member – Buckinghamshire Council), Councillor David Cannon (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead), Councillor David Carroll (Buckinghamshire Council), Councillor Emily Culverhouse (Co-Opted Member – Buckinghamshire Council), Councillor Karen Rowland (Reading Borough Council) and Councillor Richard Webber (Oxfordshire County Council)).

Budget Task and Finish Group – (Councillor John Harrison (Bracknell Forest Council), Councillor Geoff Saul (West Oxfordshire District Council), Councillor Keith McLean (Milton Keynes Council), Councillor Eddie Reeves (Cherwell District Council) and Councillor Simon Rouse (Co-Opted Members, Buckinghamshire Council). 

(6)      That the established Complaints Sub-Committee and Task Group be agreed with no changes to their terms of reference for the following year.

7)       That details of the Home Office grant received for 2021/22 for the operation of the Panel by  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28/22

12.15pm

The Panel is asked to receive the Panel’s Annual Report for 2021/22 which will be published on the Police and Crime Panel’s website.

The Panel’s Annual Report for 2021/22 was submitted and Members placed on record their appreciation of the work of Councillor Merilyn Davies, the previous Chair of the Panel.

RESOLVED - That the Annual Report be adopted and published, and that Panel Members submit the Annual Report to their respective local authorities for information.

12.25pm

The Panel is asked to consider the Topical Issues report prepared by the Panel’s Scrutiny Officer and ask questions on any of the issues raised to the PCC.

The PCC and the Chair of the Panel to provide updates if required.

The PCC informed the Panel that John Campbell, the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police would be retiring at the end of March 2023. The process for the recruitment of a new Chief Constable was already underway and it was hoped that the PCC’s preferred candidate would be selected to enable the Panel to hold a Confirmation Hearing after the next Panel meeting on 18 November.

The Panel had before it a report provided by the Scrutiny Officer which provided topical issues around policing and crime.

A Member referred to the recent media headline around the Mayor of London referencing the work of TVP in decriminalising cannabis to free up officers’ time and the PCC was asked for his view of this.

The PCC replied that TVP had not decriminalised cannabis, but TVP had implemented a system which sped up the process for dealing with offenders. A programme which looked at conditional cautions and directed users towards drug support. The PCC did not support the decriminalisation of cannabis.  

12.40pm

For Panel Members to put forward items for the Work Programme including ideas for themed meetings.

The Panel is requested to consider programming an extraordinary meeting of the Panel to enable the Panel’s work programme for the year to be completed.

The Panel was provided with details of its work programme for 2022/23.

It was agreed that the following be added into the work programme:

·       Progress update on Contact Management – 18 November or if not possible in January.

·       TVP – the data around arrests by ethnicity– January meeting.

·       Illegal Encampments across Thames Valley – January meeting.

It was agreed that the meeting on 24 March 2023 be extended to enable the work programme items which “slipped” as a result of the June 2022 Panel meeting not being completed.