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LGYH Executive voice concerns over Elected Police Commissioner proposals

On 26 May 2011, local authority Leaders from the Local Government Yorkshire & Humber (LGYH) Executive confirmed their cross-Party support towards the concerns being voiced by police authorities and forces across Yorkshire and Humber - and the country as whole – about the risks that Elected Police Commissioners could pose to the safety of local communities.

Cllr Mehboob Khan – who, as well as being Leader of Kirklees Council, is the Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board - and Cllr Tom Fox, Leader of Scarborough Borough Council (also a member of the LGA Board) are leading the calls to Government to re-think the proposals contained in the Police Reform & Social Responsibility Bill.

In particular, Yorkshire and Humber Leaders are lending their support towards highlighting the potential dangers of directly elected Commissioners and working to improve on an alternative ‘Police Commission’ model pushed through recently by Peers.

Cllr Mehboob Khan – Labour Leader of Kirklees Council and Chair of the LGA Safer and Stronger Communities Board said: "Councils play a fundamental role in combating crime - from funding Police Community Support Officers, leading local crime and disorder partnerships and tackling directly flytipping and other illegal activities. We’re also directly answerable to our local communities via the ballot box and are therefore best placed to support this ‘Police Commission’ model, which we feel better supports a collaborative and accountable model for driving out positive improvements in local policing".

Following the recent amendments to the ‘Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill’ agreed by a majority of Peers in the House of Lords - to create a “Police Commission” for each police force, instead of a directly elected Police Commissioner - Leaders from across Yorkshire and Humber have given their support to these changes and have agreed to do what they can to lobby against any measures that could add to the risks of “politicized” local policing.

Cllr Tom Fox – Conservative Leader of Scarborough Council, LGYH lead on community safety issues and member of the LGA Safer and Stronger Communities Board added: “Police forces and authorities throughout Yorkshire and Humber and across the country as a whole have been voicing their concerns for several months about the risks directly elected police commissioners could have, both in terms of the current and previous Government’s proposals in this area. As Council Leaders we have a responsibility to help protect our local communities and do what we can to keep them safe – hence we want to ensure the recent amendments to the Police Bill are not overturned and work with our partners in the police to make the Commission model work”.

The recent amendments in the House of Lords aim to create new ‘Police Commissions’, which would replace existing police authorities. The Commission would be made up of a ‘Police and Crime Panel’ that would appoint a Police and Crime Commissioner - rather than having a directly elected Commissioner that could risk policing and community safety decisions being taken on the basis of the personal or political priorities of one person, rather than community needs.

The Police and Crime Panel appointed Commissioner would still be responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account, setting local policing priorities, agreeing strategic policing plans, setting the police precept and setting the police force budget. But the Panel – which would consist of directly elected local councillors, accountable to their local communities - would also have a critical role in scrutinising the work of the Commissioner, with a power of veto if absolutely necessary.

Press release and background information

LGYH: 1st Floor, 19 King Street, Wakefield, WF1 2SQ Telephone: 01924 200 262 email: mail@lgyh.gov.uk

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