Background
The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (the Act) received Royal Assent on 15 September 2011 and covers five distinct policy areas: police accountability and governance; alcohol licensing; the regulation of protests around Parliament Square; misuse of drugs; and the issue of arrest warrants in respect of private prosecutions for universal jurisdiction offences.
Key areas
- replaces police authorities with directly elected Police and Crime Commissioner, with the aim of improving police accountability
- amends and supplements the Licensing Act 2003 with the intention of 'rebalancing' it in favour of local authorities, the police and local communities
- sets out a new framework for regulating protests around Parliament Square. Relevant sections of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 would be repealed and the police would be given new powers to prevent encampments and the use of amplified noise equipment
- enables the Home Secretary to temporarily ban drugs for up to a year, and removes the statutory requirement for the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to include members with experience in specified activities
- introduces a new requirement for private prosecutors to obtain the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions prior to the issue of an arrest warrant for 'universal jurisdiction' offences such as war crimes or torture. The Government's aim in introducing this change is to prevent the courts being used for political purposes.
The biggest impact for North Yorkshire and the Police Authority is that NYPA will be abolished on 22 November 2012 and replaced with one directly elected individual called a Police and Crime Commissioner; who will be charged with holding the Chief Constable to account and ensuring that there is an efficient and effective police force for North Yorkshire and the City of York.
The Act puts in place a flexible framework for partnership working between the PCC and their community safety and criminal justice partners. Whilst having regard to cross border and national issues, PCCs will be supported to work effectively with other local leaders to prioritise resources to suit local needs and priorities.
In London, the Mayor of London acts as the PCC for the Metropolitan police area through the new Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime - established on 16 January 2012. He may delegate the day-to-day discharge of his policing and crime functions to a Deputy Mayor for Crime and Policing. In the City of London the Common Council will remain the Police Authority.
