Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Deborah Moseley  Senior Democratic Services Officer

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Appointment of Chair to the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel

To appoint a Chair of the Police and Crime Panel for the 2020/21 municipal year.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Derek Poole nominated Councillor David Reilly to serve as Chair to the Panel for the coming year. Councillor Andrew Wright seconded the nomination.  There were no other nominations and Councillor Reilly was elected unanimously as Chair to the Police and Crime Panel for 2020/21.

2.

Appointment of Vice Chair to the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel

To appoint a Vice Chair of the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel for the 2020/21 municipal year

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor David Reilly nominated Councillor Derek Poole to serve as Vice Chair to the Panel for the coming year. Councillor Pete Gilbert seconded the nomination.

 

There were no other nominations and Councillor Poole was elected unanimously as Vice Chair to the Police and Crime Panel for 2020/21.

3.

General

Additional documents:

3(1)

Apologies

To receive any apologies from Members of the Panel

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Mr Andy Davies (Independent Member).

 

3(2)

Disclosures of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests

Members are required to register their disclosable pecuniary interests within 28 days of their election or appointment to the Council.

A member attending a meeting where a matter arises in which they has a disclosable pecuniary interest must (unless they has a dispensation):

 

• Declare the interest if they has not already registered it

• Not participate in any discussion or vote

• Must leave the meeting room until the matter has been dealt with (Standing Order 39).

• Give written notice of any unregistered interest to the Monitoring Officer within 28 days of the meeting Non-pecuniary interests must still be declared in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

 

These should be declared at the commencement of the meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

3(3)

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 253 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2020 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

3(4)

Public Speaking

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

4.

Report of the Police and Crime Commissioner pdf icon PDF 498 KB

The report is attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Police and Crime Commissioner introduced the report. He observed that virtual meetings were working well and allowing business to conduct as efficiently as in normal times. 

 

The draft Annual Report was presented as an appendix to the main report and comments from the Panel were welcomed.

 

The Commissioner provided an update on the Warwickshire Police establishment, reporting that over the last financial year, Warwickshire Police had recruited 216 new police officers which was a 14% increase, almost double the rate of the next highest police force in England and Wales.  The current strength was, therefore, 1029 and budgeted to rise to 1059 by the 31 March 2021.  The Commissioner added that there were two new rural crime teams and two new vehicle crime teams, a new county wide child abuse and exploitation team, enhanced safer neighbourhood team, more detectives and more response officers.  New recruits were initially posted to the response teams and were tutored by tutor constables.

 

The report also set the scene for diversity, equality and inclusion, ahead of the work programme item planned for the November meeting.  The report set out the numbers of BAME officers leaving the force.  The report set out the work of the Positive Action Team in terms of BAME recruitment.

 

The report also detailed performance and set out changes to personnel in the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.  The Commissioner noted that the Panel had received notice of the preferred candidate for appointment as Chief Executive and the procedure for a confirmation hearing would need to be carried out.  The Commissioner noted there would be financial challenges ahead particularly due to Covid-19 but that he had regularly met with the Chief Constable throughout the pandemic and was pleased to note that despite following rules around self-isolation and social distancing, the force itself had been relatively resilient throughout the pandemic.

 

In relation to the budget and finance going forward, the Commissioner noted that the budget, which would have set out the priorities and spending amounts to be allocated to the Home Office had been delayed from November.  A three year settlement on revenue and a four year settlement on capital was still anticipated which would enable an element of future planning.

 

Initially focussing on the information provided in relation to diversity, equality and inclusion, Members of the Panel asked a number of questions as set out below.

 

Councillor Ian Davison noted the figures given in the report which showed the BAME police officers and staff who had recently left Warwickshire Police over the period January to March 2020 and also data relating to those BAME police officers who had left the force over the last 5 years.  He asked if there was 5 year data available for staff and PCSOs and whether the staff retention rates represented a long term trend and, if so, whether this level of turnover had raised any concern.  The Commissioner responded that at the time of the last census, the BAME population stood at 7.2%  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Recruitment of a New Independent Panel Member

Verbal update to consider the selection process for candidates.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel noted that selection interviews for shortlisted candidates were due to take place on 1 October 2020.

6.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 229 KB

To consider and review the Panel’s work progamme.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The work programme was noted together with the addition of a presentation from the PAT Team on BAME representation and the Force’s approach to recruitment and retention.

7.

Dates of Meetings

To note the arrangements for future meetings.

 

All Police and Crime Panel meetings start at 10.30am, unless specified otherwise. The following meetings are scheduled at Shire Hall, Warwick (subject to public health guidance which could result in the holding of virtual meetings):

 

·       Thursday 19 November 2020

·       Monday 1 February 2021

·       Thursday 1 April 2021

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair invited the Panel to take note of the future meeting dates:

 

  • Thursday 19 November 2020
  • Monday 1 February 2021

Thursday 1 April 2021

8.

Any Urgent Items

At the discretion of the Chair, items may be raised which are considered urgent (please notify Democratic Services in advance of the meeting).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.

9.

Reports Containing Confidential or Exempt Information

To consider passing the following resolution: ‘That members of the public be excluded from the meeting for the items mentioned below on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972’.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

‘That members of the public be excluded from the meeting for the items mentioned below on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972’.

10.

Presentation from the Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police

Minutes:

Martin Jelley, Chief Constable made a presentation to the Panel which covered the force’s vision, the response to Covid-19, transition and rebuilding following the alliance with West Mercia, performance, strategic priorities, anticipated challenges in the year ahead, and the financial position. 

 

The Chair expressed the Panel’s gratitude to the Chief Constable for his attendance and honesty and the Chief Constable left the meeting at this point.

11.

Exempt Minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2020.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2020 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

12.

Complaints

To consider any complaints received and considered regarding the conduct of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Minutes:

There were none.